Walter Dornez of the Emblem
by WizardCantNameThings
Summary: After an explosion that resulted in his "death", Walter C. Dornez finds himself in a strange new world. How did he get here? Well that's what he's trying to figure out. How will the Angel of Death fare as he joins forces with Chrom and the Shepherds, and will he ever come to terms with his actions as Millennium's agent?
1. The Angel of Death rides again

**_Welcome Readers! I sense the beginning of another fanfic!_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS._**

 ** _FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER._**

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 ** _BOLD ITALIC_** ** _S=NARRATOR_**

 ** _(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)_**

 **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Death Angel rides again

Walter C. Dornez, the Angel of death, felt his entire being burn as he was engulfed by the fires of the burning Millennium airship, Deus Ex Machina. _Is this how I'm going to die? As a treacherous butler that gave everything just bring down one man? This was not worth what I lost. If only I could do things all over again._

He had just betrayed the closest thing to family he'd ever had. His entire life was spent to plotting the demise of that family and it's monstrous servant, Alucard. He didn't remember when he started to act as double agent, but at this point it didn't matter. He was going to die, and his dear master was going to live.

 _Integra Hellsing..._ He smiled as at the thought of his dear master.

* * *

 **(Flashback Start)**

Walter stood beside his master, Arthur Hellsing, as he paced back and forth. "Sir, I recommend that you sit down. Pacing won't change anything Sir Hellsing." The butler offered the man a seat.

They were currently at the hospital waiting for the birth of the next Hellsing. Walter understood that the arrival of an heir to the Hellsing family was a nerve racking one, but this was ridiculous. Arthur seemed to be close to having a heart attack.  
 _Thank goodness we're in a hospital..._

A scream of pain erupted from the room that the birth was taking place. Arthur stopped his pacing and slumped down into the chair next to Walter. The Head of Hellsing turned and faced Walter. "I'm glad you came with me Walter."

"It's nothing to be thankful for. I'm merely carrying out my duties as your butler and bodyguard, sir." Walter responded as he bowed. To be honest, he was a bit nervous as well. The birthing of a new Hellsing guaranteed that the organization would live on, for that he was grateful.

"I'm serious Walter." Arthur suddenly continued. "You always work yourself to death for the sake of Hellsing. I just want you to know that I consider you as more than a butler, but more as a family."

That caught him off guard. Walter was visibly surprised. "Thank you sir. I don't know what to say."

The doors to the hospital room burst open. A doctor stepped out of the room. "Come and see your beautiful daughter.

The duo stepped into the room slowly.

Walter felt his heart threaten to leap out of his chest as he looked at the tiny newborn snuggle close to her mother. It looked so helpless, and fragile. "What're you going to name her?"

"My wife and I thought about it for long while." Arthur answered. "We couldn't think of a name for her."

"That will simply not do." Walter caressed the baby's cheek. "She's an important member of the Hellsing family, as she is it's heir, so it's fitting we name her Integra. Integra, the most integral part of Hellsing."

Arthur smiled. "Integra. I like it. Integra Fairbrooke Wingates Hellsing. I can't even name my own child without your help, Walter. You're the most trustworthy person I know." He paused. "It's only fitting that, since you named her, you be made my child's godfather."

* * *

 **(Flashback End)**

He remembered feeling quite overwhelmed. He didn't understand why he was being given such a task. Over time Integra grew on him. When he took his "vacation" that was designed to initiate the release of Alucard, he felt immensely guilty with what he was doing. It made him question whether or not it was really a good idea to turn on Hellsing. He didn't even remember why he was turning on Hellsing.

"Despite my insecurity on the subject I still followed through with becoming a vampire. I faked my allegience to Millennium, thus giving Integra the motivation to have Alucard attack me. I let her face a madman, alone. I played my part on the stage, and broke whatever bonds I had. Alucard was right when he said that Integra and Seras were lost to me." Walter weakly rasped. "I ensured that they were lost to me, after all." The airship was beginning to shake and explode. He knew that he didn't have long before it exploded.

"WALTER!" The former Hellsing butler heard someone call out his name.

 _Is that Integra?_ He easily recognized the voice of his former master. _I don't deserve your sympathies. I got what I deserved, a traitors death. Go and be the head of Hellsing that I watched you grow up and become. As I said when I first laid my eyes on you. You are the most important part of the Hellsing family. You are integral to the survival of England._ An I-beam barely hit him, as the ship collapsed.

"We had a good run, Master Integra."

Without any warning the entire ship exploded in a brilliant flash taking Walter with it. This was the end of the Angel of Death, the butler to Hellsing, and the Shinigami. This was the end of Walter C. Dornez.

* * *

 _Where am I?_

 _"_ Chrom, we have to do something."

 _Who's Chrom?_

"What do you propose we do?"

Walter didn't know what was going on. His eyes slowly fluttered open. It took a moment for his vision to focus.

"I... I dunno."

The former Hellsing butler was on his back, staring up at a man and a young woman.

"H... Hello." The girl said sheepishly.

"You know there are better places to take a nap then on the ground." The man stuck his hand out. "Here, give me your hand."

Walter grabbed hold of his hand and was pulled up. _Where the hell am I?_

"You alright? The man asked. He had messy blue hair and he wore extravagant clothes.

 _Probably royalty or something like that._ Walter thought to himself as he dusted himself off. He noticed that he was wearing his regular attire, instead of the all black version he wore during his battle against Alucard. He also noticed that he was an old man again. _Thank the Lord. I'm no longer a vampire._

"I think so." Walter replied. "Thank you Chrom."

"Ah, you know who I am?" Chrom's eyebrow rose.

Walter shook his head. "No, I have no idea who you are. I just heard this young lady say Chrom, so I assumed that she was referring to you."

"Quite the deduction you made there." He responded. "What's your name, stranger?"

The aged butler thought for a moment. He wasn't sure it was safe to give his name to these strangers. _There's no harm in being courteous. They could've very easily have killed me while I was unconscious, yet they didn't. It's safe to assume they're friendly._ Walter took in his surroundings as well. _I'm also curious as to how I ended up here. The last thing I remember was being caught in the explosion of the Deus Ex Machina._

"My name is Walter Dornez." He finally replied. "If you don't mind me asking, where am I?"

"How do you not know where you are." Another man suddenly spoke up, startling Walter. He had brown hair and wore heavy looking armor. "We're to believe that you can easily deduce milord's name, but you have know idea where you are?"

"I'm new here." Walter said jokingly. "In all seriousness, yes that is the truth. I swear to whatever god you have in this land, that I am speaking the truth."

Chrom crossed his arms. "I'm certain we can clear all this up at the nearest town. For now, we treat him as our guest, Frederick."

Frederick scoffed. "I will follow your every order, however I still implore you to act on the side of caution. It would be most unfortunate of if he turned out to be a brigand, milord."

"Then you can keep a close eye on him as we make our way toward the town." The blue haired warrior rubbed the back of his head.

"You didn't answer my question, though." Walter crossed his arms. "I'll go with you, as long as you tell me where I am."

Chrom began walking, seemingly as if the question went in one ear and out the other."We'll tell you when we get to town."

With no idea where he was, or how he got there, the aged butler had no choice but to follow. He needed answers, and he needed them now. _How in God's name did I get here?_

* * *

After several minutes of walking, Walter finally spoke up. "I know this is a bit out of the blue, but am I your prisoner? Though I heavily doubt it, I still wish to know for certain."

"Hah!" Chrom let out a hearty laugh. "Don't worry. As soon as we establish that you aren't an enemy of Ylisse, you'll be free to go."

"So this land I'm in is called Ylisse." Walter felt a throbbing pain in his head for a moment. _Odd, it sounds familiar, yet I don't recall ever hearing a name such as that._ Th _e_ pain subsided as quickly as it appeared. Determining that it was nothing, Walter chose to ignore it. "Tell me a bit more about this land. Who rules it, and what kind of ruler is he or she?"

"You've never heard of the halidom, either?" Frederick smirked. "How much are you being paid, for you make quite the convincing idiot."

"Don't aggravate the man, Frederick." Chrom stepped in. "Allow me to explain. This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Lady Emmeryn, is called the exalt." Chrom stopped in his tracks. "I suppose we owe you proper introduction. You already know my name is Chrom." He pointed his thumb at the young blonde woman. "The delicate one over there is my little sister, Lissa."

"I am NOT delicate!" Lissa objected to his description of her. "Ignore my brother, please." Her cheerful demeanor returned. "He can be really thick at times."

Walter gave her a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances."

Lissa returned his smile. "You're lucky that the Shepherds found you instead of brigands. That would've been a rude awakening."

"You look more like warriors then shepherds."

"It's a dangerous job." Chrom said jokingly. "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

"A title I wear with pride." Frederick chuckled. "At least one of us needs to act cautious, otherwise we would fall into every single trap we run into. As much as I want to believe you, Walter, my title forbids me to do so."

Walter sighed upon hearing this. _They have every right to be cautious around me. I did just betray the closest thing to a family I ever had. I have every right to die a traitors death, yet God doesn't seem keen to grant me that request._

"Chrom! The town!" Lissa suddenly panicked.

The group turned to see plumes of smoke in the air. Several buildings were ablaze.

Chrom cursed under his breath. "No doubt those blasted brigands are responsible." He quickly unsheathed an extravagant sword. The blade seemed to glow a luminous silver in the sunlight. "Frederick! Lissa! To arms!"

"What about Walter?" Frederick asked.

"Unless he's on fire as well, then he can wait!"

"Well said, milord."

Lissa was already running towards the town." Hurry up slowpokes!"

The trio left, leaving Walter behind.

"Well that was rude." Walter signed. He stared at the plumes of smoke in the air. Screams of terror could be heard throughout the town.

More buildings were set ablaze, as Walter watched from a distance. _Are you really just going to stand here and watch these innocent people suffer?_ The butler wrestled with his morality. _I don't even belong here, yet I can't let these people suffer. If I did, I really would be a monster no different from Alucard._ Walter shuddered at the thought. He felt a pair of leather gloves in his pocket. They were the black fingerless gloves that he used to battle with his monofilament wires.

"I guess I have no choice." He slipped the gloves on once more. Walter planned to retire after the Millennium incident, had he not been forced to hold up his end of the bargain he made half a century prior.

"The Angel of Death must ride again."

* * *

Chrom clashed blades with one of the brigands. He saw that Frederick wasn't faring very well against these brigands, and not much more could said about his current status in the matter. Several brigands began to corner the duo.

"Grab anything of worth, and torch the rest!" The leader of the rogues stood fairly close by. A young maiden was trapped in his grasp. "We gots to set an example for these Ylissean types." He got uncomfortably close to the young woman. "Ain't that right lass?"

"S- stay away away from me!" She cried out to no avail. "Please! Someone! Help!"

Unfortunately, no one was close enough to come to her aid. Chrom and Fredrick were surrounded, and Lissa was busy tending to the two whenever they suffered damage.

"Ignore these goons for now!" Chrom yelled. "We need to save that woman first!"

Frederick shook his head. "There's too many, milord! We won't make it in time!"

"Damnit." Chrom gritted his teeth in frustration. The sound of the burning houses filled the air as he continued his attempt to escape the circle of brigands. Much to his discontent, he couldn't seem to break out.

Suddenly, a blue line seemed to dance in front of the brigands faces.

A second later, much to Chrom's shock, and Lissa's horror, the heads of the brigands surrounding the trio slid off their necks.

"How unsatisfying."

The trio looked up to see Walter standing on top of a clock tower. A cocky smirk was plastered on his face as he gracefully somersaulted off.

"Killing ghouls is much more satisfying." Several luminescent wires surrounded him. "They tend to explode in a shower of blood after all. I guess killing you lot will have to suffice."

A group of foolish brigands confidently walked up to the old butler. "We ain't afraid of you, old man." One of them laughed as he raised his weapon. "This old geezer should make his way to the closest retirement home. Of course, that's if we haven't burnt all of them to ground just yet!"

Walter stood there motionless.

"You deaf old man?!"

Still no response.

Irritated at being unacknowledged, the brigand brought his axe down upon Walter. Much to his surprise, he found himself attacking thin air.

"Bit on the slow side, are we?"

The group of brigands turned around to see Walter standing right behind them.

"How'd he get over there so fast?" Chrom muttered under his breath.

Frederick was staring at Walter in disbelief. "He moved faster than any old man, no-" He corrected himself. "Any human, could possibly move!"

Walter chuckled. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to attack?" He taunted. "Is it the fact that you are all so damn stupid that you haven't quite processed my words just yet? Maybe simplifying my speech may help."

All of the brigands charged at the him in fury. Walter elegantly ducked and dodged all of their attacks with ease.

"What are you bozos doin?!" Their leader shock his fist angrily, all while keeping his hold on the young woman in his grasp. "He's just an old man! He doesn't even ave a weapon! He can't hurt you!"

Walter jumped out of the mash pit of brigands. He raised both of his arms to reveal the wires that emanated from the base of his of his gloved fingers, and were currently scattered at the feet of all of the brigands. "I beg to differ." With one swipe of his hand, his wires sprang to life, cutting gashes into the bodies of every single brigand around him.

Lissa cheered the old butler on as she watched him confront the leader. "Whoo! Go Walter! Show em who's boss!"

Chrom couldn't help but smile. "His methods are a bit violent, but not unwarranted. He only incapacitated them, instead of flat out kill them like he did the others."

"I'd say I harmed your underlings quite a bit." Walter called his wires back to his side. Nothing hid his amused grin as he watched the leader of the brigands cower in fear. "I'd pick a god to pray to if I were you. If you're lucky, one of them will turn out to be real and will probably grant you some mercy." His wires made a distinctive crack sound. "Granted you'll probably still go to Hell."

"Stay back!" The coward brought his axe up to his captive maiden's throat. "Take one more step and the girl gets it!"

"Was that an ultimatum of sorts?" The aged butler chuckled. "If it is, then you did a pretty lousy job, because I see two outcomes instead of just one."

"What other outcome is there?!"

Walter raised his hand. "This." As if on cue, a single monofilament wire cut straight into the brigands arm, releasing his grip on the maiden.

The villain screamed in agony as he clutched the stump that was once his arm in pain. He then toppled over, due to the pain.

"That was rather disappointing." Walter stood over his fallen opponent. "I can't say that you put up a good fight, because I've fought teenagers with better skills. I'll give you a choice because I'm nice. Either you stand trial for your actions, or you die here and now. Your choice."

"Mercy! Please don't kill me! I don't wanna die!" He burst into tears as he mentally broke down.

The maiden that Walter had saved gave the butler a tight hug. "Thank you so much, kind sir! I really thought I wasn't going to make it!"

The aged butler, awkwardly, returned the hug. "It was nothing, ma'am. Just doing what's right." He gave her the warmest smile and then told her to run on home.

"That was quite the impressive show you put on."

Walter turned around to see Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa.

"I've never seen anyone fight like you before." The blue haired warrior smiled. "Nor have I ever seen anyone use long strands of wire for battle. You, my friend, are quite the fighter."

"How long did it take you to learn how to fight like that?!" Lissa asked. She looked like a child that had eaten way to much sugar.

Walter thought back to his younger years. "I think I first created my wires when I was around 8. I remember practicing day and night to perfect my form. I think it honestly frightened my fellow butlers that I could cut them down without so much as a warning."

"You're also a butler?" Frederick raised an eyebrow,

"Of course, I thought my clothing and mannerisms gave that away. I've been a butler since I was at least 6. I studied polite manners and cleanliness for a good chunk of my youth before I became actually good at my job." He reminisced his days as a young butler. Playing pranks and constantly looking up the skirts of maids. _I think I picked up my pervertedness at that age from Arthur. It didn't help that he tended to hire young women as maids. Neither did their extremely skimpy clothing._

"I think we've dawdled long enough." Chrom patted Walter on the back. "Why don't you tell us more about yourself later? I'm pretty interested."

"I'd love to. I have many fond memories to tell of." Walter chuckled.

"Um guys?" Lissa scratched the back of her head. "I think we should help douse the flames on the houses."

The group nodded in unison as they began to gather as much water as possible.

* * *

After several hours or so, all of the fires were put out. Thankfully, much of the damage was easily repairable and there weren't any casualties.

The quartet of heroes stood atop one of the many bridges, and gazed at the town.

"Such a shame these villagers had to suffer through such an attack." Walter sighed. "It was lucky we arrived here when we did, otherwise I have no doubt this town wouldn't be here right now."

"Yeah." Lissa said halfheartedly. "That would've been horrible if we didn't get here when we did. All these people would probably be gone."

Chrom nodded in agreement. "There was something odd though. The brigands that Walter apprehended were far too skilled to be just average thieves."

"I noticed it as well, milord" Frederick crossed his arms. "I think you should know that they seemed to speak with a Plegain accent."

"Plegian? What's that?" Walter's eyebrow rose.

"Plegia is Ylisse's westerly neighbor." Chrom responded. "They send small bands of thieves into our territory, hoping to instigate war. Though the thieves are usually more simple minded, and weaker in general."

"What's worse is they send the brigands to attack small towns like this one." Lissa said sadly. "The people always end up taking the brunt end of Plegia's grudge."

Walter placed his hand on the blonde healers shoulder. "They have you guys at least. I believe you called yourselves Shepherds?"

Frederick nodded. "Indeed, they do have us: Shepherds to protect the sheep. We should not let anger get the better of us, lest we wish it cloud our judgment."

Lissa smiled as her cheerful demeanor returned. "Right! We can't protect the people if we can't think straight!"

"You guys just got me thinking." Chrom approached Walter. "We were completely out matched back there, but Walter made those Plegian thieves look like nothing. I think it's safe to say that Walter's on our side."

"Agreed." Lissa winked charismatically at Walter, causing him to smile sheepishly. "Without him we would've been beaten badly."

Frederick sighed. "As much as I hate to admit my failure to protect you two, I agree that we would've fallen were it not for Walter."

"I guess you'll agree with me when I say that Walter would make a fine addition to the Shepherds." Chrom crossed his arms "So how about it? Will you join the Shepherds, Walter?"

The aged butler thought about it for a moment. _This is my chance to put the past behind me and to forget about Millennium. Finally after half a decade of being a slave to the enemy, I'm free._ Walter smirked as he realized that he could finally move on. "I would be most honored to join the Shepherds."

Lissa cheered Walter on as he accepted.

"Welcome to the Shepherds, Walter." Chrom shook his hand with pleasure.

"Milord!" A villager interrupted as he ran towards the quartet. "You must stay the night! The whole town wishes to celebrate your imprisoning of those vile brigands, with a feast in your honor!"

Frederick stepped forward. "A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand, but we must hurry back to Ylisstol. Her exalt will be expecting us there."

Walter laughed in amusement as Lissa ran up to the poor villager, and began to order food as if at a restaurant. "Did you not hear the second part of what Frederick said? We're leaving, Lissa."

"I want dark meat, medium well, and no salt in the soup..." The sudden registration of Frederick and Walter's words hit Lissa like a sledgehammer. "Wait, what?! We're not staying?!" She cried in objection. "It's nearly dark, Frederick!"

It was true, the sun was nearing the horizon.

"When night falls we'll merely camp out." The lancer responded simply. "We'll set up a few tents and hunt for food ourselves." He began to make his way towards the town entrance.

"I hate you sometimes, Frederick." Lissa slowly dragged herself behind Frederick.

Chrom chuckled. "Somethings never change."

Walter watched Lissa and Frederick from behind. "Is it me or do sense some romantic air between those two?"

"Wouldn't surprise me." The blue haired warrior replied. "Lissa had a crush on Frederick when we were kids, so it's not impossible. Frederick would always accompany us, even when he was just a lowly teenage cadet. He's like family, to us."

"I know the feeling." Walter recalled how he saw Integra as the daughter he never had. "We better get moving, otherwise we'll fall behind."

Chrom nodded in agreement as they ran to catch up to the two "lovebirds".

 ** _And so begins our hero's adventure. As the dawn approaches, how will Walter fit in in his new home? How did he get here in the first place? Only one thing is certain. Walter is on guard and ready to go. Enemies of Ylisse beware for the Angel of Death, Walter C. Dornez, rides again._**


	2. The Risen

__**For those of you who are wondering, yes, Walter will be replacing Robin in this story. My reasons will be explained a bit later, but you'll just have to wait in suspense for now.**__

 _ _ **Another point I should bring up is the fact that I chose old Walter rather than choosing dark or teenage Walter. This is partially due to how powerful Dark Walter is in comparison to Old Walter, and I don't want this story to be centered around Walter the entire time. The other reason is something that I'll probably go over in the future.**__

 _ _ **With that being said, let chapter two of Walter Dornez of the Emblem begin!**__

* * *

 _ _ **DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**__

 _ _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**__

 _ _ITALICS=THOUGHTS AND SOUNDS__

 _ **BOLD= IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT**_

 _ _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**__

 _ _ **(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**__

 ** **Walter Dornez of the Emblem****

* * *

 **West of Ylisstol  
** **July 16 (8:10 P.M.)**

The four warriors wandered through the forest, as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon. They spent nearly an hour or so on the road and they were exhausted.

"I told you!" Lissa complained. "It's dark already!"

Walter chuckled to himself. "Well that's to be expected, Lissa. We spent nearly the entire day at the town."

"Half the day technically." Frederick corrected. "We found you in that field at around 1:00 in the afternoon."

Insect began to fly around the 4 of them.

"Ech!" Lissa swiped the air a few times. "And now the bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl over and bite you when-" she suddenly began spitting profusely. "Agh! Won goph in mah mouth!"

Walter shook his head as he slapped her back, causing a glob of spit to fly out of Lissa's mouth. "That's why you keep your mouth shut at night."

"You know what they say." Chrom chuckled to himself. "Hardship builds character, Lissa. How about you help me gather some firewood?"

"Absolutely not!" The blonde healer angrily flailed her arms around. "I'm staying right here! I think I've built more than a lifetimes worth of character for now!"

"If Chrom's gathering firewood, then I shall find us some food." Walter slipped his gloves on. "With the right materials I could easily cook a five star meal in even these conditions."

Frederick nodded. "If that's the case, Lissa and I shall sent up the tents and what not."

"Why do I need to help?" Lissa groaned as she slumped down. "I'm tired as hell."

Walter sighed. "I guess your sleeping without a tent then. Everyone must be doing something, otherwise it'll be midnight by the time we have an adequate camp."

"Fine." Lissa raised her hands in defeat.

They all went their separate ways to complete their appointed task.

It took nearly an hour, but Lissa and Frederick eventually tied the last of the tents down.

"So Frederick." Lissa sat down on a rock. "I've been thinking, can you train me in swordplay?"

"Why so sudden, milady?" Frederick rolled a rock beside Lissa, and sat down. "You do a fine enough job as a healer."

"It's just that I'm always the one struggling to keep up, as of late." She responded. "What if I can't heal anyone and I have to defend someone, and you and Chrom aren't around?"

"What about Walter?"

Lissa let out a halfhearted laugh. "As if I could protect someone like Walter. He's more likely to end up protecting me."

Frederick smirked slightly. "Very well. If that's your reason, then I'll be happy to oblige. I warn you, I'm not a very gentle teacher when it comes to swordplay."

"Thank you, Frederick." She gave the lancer a warm hug. "I promise you, I won't let you down."

Chrom and Walter decided to stick together. They easily gathered firewood from the branches of trees.

"So Walter..." Chrom cut the branch off another tree. "Do you have any family? A man of your age usually has a big family by now."

Walter was quiet for a moment. He never thought about starting a family. To him, the company of Integra, along with rest of the Hellsing staff, was more than enough to keep him company. "No, the thought never occurred to me. I never quite met anyone back home. There were a few maids that worked under the same master as me that had a crush on me, but I never saw the need to reciprocate those feelings."

"Really?" Another tree branch was cut down by Chrom's trusty sword. "Didn't you get lonely?"

"To be honest, no" the aged butler recalled his fond memories of serving Arthur and Integra. "My first master, Arthur Hellsing, was a man I saw as my father. I never knew my real parents, so having Arthur around during my teenage years was nice. When Arthur's wife gave birth to my second master, Integra, I felt a sort of fatherly connection to her." Walter was handed a pile of sticks. "When Arthur died, I was the only left to take care of her. We became nigh inseparable. It was only a matter of time before I started to see her as a daughter."

Chrom saw a glint of sadness in the old man's eyes. "What happened?"

Walter stared at the floor for a few seconds. "I did something I shouldn't have done. I was forced to do something that I said I would do half a century prior. With no choice in the matter, I cut all ties to my master and betrayed them, making it look like I did so of my own free will. In the end I was defeated and alone. I was slowly dying because of something my enemies did to me, but I wasn't going to die without taking one of the men responsible for the mess with me. The next thing I knew I was in that field where you found me."

The moonlight seeped through tree's illuminating the ground around the two. They were silent, with the only sound heard being the rustling of the trees and the chirping of crickets.

"Sounds like you had it rough." Chrom broke the silence. "I don't think I could've lasted a second under those circumstances. You're really something, you know that, Walter?"

The old man chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

The duo heard a twig snap a few feet away. They turned around to see a full grown grizzly bear, standing at it's hind legs.

"I think we found dinner." Walter bit down on a few of his wires.

"Are you sure you can take it?" Chrom cautiously stepped back. "That is a really big bear after all."

The butler smiled as the bear bared it's fangs. "Seriously?"

* * *

 **West of Ylisstol  
** **July 16 (9:46 P.M.)**

A light fire flickered between the four Shepherds as they ate the bear that Walter habd brought back for dinner. To be more accurate, Chrom and Walter enjoyed the food while Lissa and Frederick just stared at their plates.

"Walter, what did you do to this bear!?" Chrom took no time to savor the flavor of Walter's bear stew. "I have never eaten anything this good!"

Walter took small bites of his dinner. "Oh, this is nothing compared to what I could do if I had a few extra vegetables. My years as a butler has given me vast knowledge in the art of cooking." Unlike Chrom, he savored every bite.

"I can only imagine what you could do with the proper ingredients. Lissa, what's wrong?" Chrom paused his pig out. "Is there something in your stew?"

"Yeah, there's something in my stew! Bear!" Lissa grumbled. "Couldn't you spear us an animal that normal people eat? It's bear for gods sake! Who in their right mind eats bear?! Doesn't that mess with the food chain, or something?! Right, Walter?"

"Technically humans are at the top of the food chain." Walter continued to eat small spoonfuls of his food. "As such, you're argument is null and void. Even if we weren't, it wouldn't matter. Food is food."

"Ugh, why'd I bother asking you?" She slapped her forehead.

Chrom let out a light chuckle. "You're so spoiled, Lissa. The stew is really good, you just need to take the first bite."

"The smell says otherwise!" Lissa yelled at the top of her lungs.. "It smells like old boots! No, it smells even worse than old boots!"

Walter sighed. "If I had the proper spices, I would whip up something that would neutralize the smell. Alas, I cannot."

"WHY?!" Lissa shouted into Walter's ear.

"Because, where the hell am I supposed to find spices in the middle of a forest!" He clutched his ear in pain. "Besides, if I did it would mess with taste of the stew. Would you rather it smell like old boots, or taste like old boots?"

The blonde haired healer raised her hands in defeat. "Whatever..."

"Come now, milady." Frederick stared at his bowl of bear stew. "Every experience makes us stronger, especially those we don't enjoy. I won't train you if you don't eat."

"Fine." Lissa took her first bite of the bear in defeat. Her eyes widened as she began to rapidly devour her dinner. "Vhis is so goof." She spoke with her mouth full.

"How rather unladylike of you." Walter spoke with an amused grin as he watched Lissa devour her food. His attention turned to Frederick, who was still staring at the bear meat. "You said that every experience strengthens us, so is this one to much for you?"

"Well... well..." The brown haired lancer stammered. "I... it just so happens that I... I had a large lunch! Yes, that's it."

Lissa snickered as she watched Frederick in amusement. "Really? Then I suppose that this experience IS just to much for you, Frederick?"

"Lies and deceit." Chrom took a break from his meal to observe the comedy that was Frederick and Lissa.

Frederick sighed as he took his first bite of the bear meat.

Walter had a perfect score from the judges that night.

* * *

 **West of Ylisstol  
** **July 17(1:22 A.M.)**

Chrom's eyes fluttered open as he tossed and turned in an attempt to get comfortable.

 _Crack!_

He shot up from his sleeping bag and quickly grabbed his sword. He noticed that the faint light of the, now small, fire was dully casting a shadow onto his tent. Chrom slowly poked his head out of his tent to see Walter staring up at the sky. "Something wrong Walter?"

The aged butler acted as if he didn't hear his question. Walter merely continued to stare at the moon.

"There's something in the air." Walter finally spoke up.

"What's in the air?

Walter pulled his trusty fingerless gloves over his hands. "I was taught the nature of bloodlust and murder by the man I originally served as butler for. I grew up around the scent and feeling of unease." He turned around to face Chrom. "There's something in these woods…" Walter paused as he flicked his wrist, causing his wires to make a distinctive crack sound. "…and it's out for blood."

Suddenly the fire went out. No sooner had it gone out, the ground began to shake.

Lissa stumbled out of her tent as she gripped her staff tightly. "What's going on?!"

Frederick seemed to leap out of his tent. "Are we under attack milord?!"

The ground cracked beneath the four of them. Smoke began to erupt from between the cracks.

"Run!" Walter used his wires to toss his comrades out of the danger zone. He quickly followed in suit, tailing behind Chrom.

A large chunk of land flew into the air as fire illuminated the sky. Like a volcano, flaming rocks erupted from beneath the Earth, forcing the four to skillfully dodge their way around them.

Once they made it safe distance away, they turned to see a blazing inferno.

"Look!" Lissa pointed at the sky as a large black hole seemed to appear. Ghoul like creatures seemed to pour out of them in vast quantities.

 _Ghouls?_ Walter raised an eyebrow. _No, they look similar to them though._ He quickly commanded his wires to intercept the horde of 'Risen', he so dubbed them. Much to his shock, they didn't seem to be very affected by them.

Chrom and Frederick charged the Risen, with weapons in hand. Like Walter's wires, their weapons proved to be very ineffective against these undead creatures.

Walter summoned up more wires and attempted to cut them down once more. This time he aimed for the head and the heart and, to his pleasure, managed to actually bring some down. "Aim for the heart or the head!"

"AHHH!"

Walter turned around to see that Lissa was under attack. He quickly attempted to guide his wires toward the Risen surrounding her, but found himself unable to do so. Somehow, the Risen were holding his wires back.

Chrom and Frederick also attempted to save Lissa, but were intercepted by more Risen.

 _We can't get to her!_ Walter continued his vain to attempt to regain control of his monofiliment wires. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to shake the undead creatures hold on them.

Lissa prepared for the worst when she caught sight of something. It looked like someone was coming through the portal that the Risen originated from. A man wearing a mask leapt out of the portal and deflected an attack meant for Lissa.

"A bit of support would be nice." He said almost sarcastically.

Walter noted that he sounded almost feminine. He quickly ignored his observation and focused on the task at hand. With one exhausting push of strength, he finally regained control of his wires. "Finally…" Walter's fingers were moving quick enough for his wires to begin to rapidly revolve around. "I recommend that you all get down, unless you wish to join these unruly creatures in the afterlife."

Upon hearing this Chrom and Frederick quickly hit the ground. Lissa and her mysterious savior followed in suit.

"What's he going to do?" The masked man asked.

Lissa smirked. "I have a feeling we're about o find out."

The wires were now beginning to orbit Walter, forming what looked like an impenetrable barrier around him. "Enjoy your leisurely stay in the afterlife." Walter spoke in a cold manner as all of the Risen began to flock toward him. With the swipe of both of his hands, Walter's wires seemed to dance their way across the battlefield, cutting down all Risen in their path. When the wires stopped, all of the Risen were bloody bits and pieces and were slowly disintegrating into dust.

Chrom stood up and laughed at Walter's handiwork. "That's some attack Walter." He smiled at the butler who was breathing rather heavily. His smile faded when Walter collapsed. The blue haired warrior quickly rushed to his side.

Walter clutched his heart in pain. He looked up to see more Risen pouring out of the rifts.  
 _I'm not having heart attack, am I? What's happening to me? My blood is boiling, but my heart rate hasn't increased, nor has it decreased._

"Are you alright?" Chrom patted Walter's back. "That was one hell of an attack you dished out there, Walter."

Walter chuckled as he began to regain control of his body. "It seems I'm not as spry as I used to be." He managed to gasp in some more air. "I'll be fine. Just deal with the rest of these creatures."

Chrom nodded as he ran back into the fight.

"Remember Chrom..."

Chrom stopped in his tracks.

"Aim for the heart or the head." He winked at the lord. "I find it much more effective than blindly slashing at them."

The blue haired warrior gave him a thumbs up as he went to deal with the threat.

Frederick was busy spearing the Risen with his lance, on horseback. "They just keep coming!" He gritted his teeth in frustration.

Chrom cut down a bunch of Risen that Frederick had missed. "Frederick!"

The lancer was quickly knocked off his horse. He quickly unsheathed his sword. "Yes milord?!" Frederick quickly engaged several more Risen.

"Walter says that we should aim for the heart or the head, as he found it brings them down more efficiently!" Chrom quickly beheaded several of them. "As you can see, it brings them down much faster than blindly slashing."

"Is that so?" Frederick followed in suit, by impaling, and beheading, several Risen. Unsurprisingly, they quickly disintegrated into a purple vapor. "Remind me to thank Walter for the tip, milord!"

The blue haired swordsman chuckled as he clashed with his undead foes.

Lissa stayed by her masked saviors side as he battled the Risen.

"Stay back!" He decapitated three more Risen.

Lissa rolled her eyes. "What else am I going to do?" She muttered under her breath.

As the Shepherds battled with the undead, the faint sounds of horse hooves graced their ears.

"Captain Chrom!"

Chrom turned around to see a red haired woman, on horseback, joining them in their fight. "What took you so long Sully?"

Sully speared a few of the Risen. "The fires were just peaking over the horizon, sir." She deflected an incoming throwing axe. "They sent me to investigate."

Frederick scoffed. "A fire of this size would warrant more than an investigation, Sully."

The red head chuckled. "Ol' Vaike thought it was just a bunch of misbehaving teenagers." She speared a few more Risen. "Not the first time he's been wrong."

Chrom shot her a smirk. "Aim for the heart or the head. It kills them quicker."

Sully nodded as she jabbed her spear into another Risen. Unfortunately, she failed to notice the one crawling up behind her.

 _Whoosh!_

A well placed arrow intercepted the creature before it could do any damage.

"Hold, milady!" A man with silverfish blue hair hopped out of a tree. He wore clothing that screamed "I am a snobbish nobleman!".

"Huh?" Sully turned to see the Risen he so easily sniped.

"Life may be long, but attraction is fleeting!" He spoke in, what Walter could describe as, a French accent.

That begged the question of how can you have a French accent with no France. Walter rolled his eyes. He was still exhausted, so he chose to ignore that one for now. _Ghouls are one thing, but a man with a French accent, when there is no France in this world, is too much to ponder._

"Would you leave me in your sweet dust?" the French man, but not French man because there is no France, continued. "Leave war to warriors, dear bird! A beauty such as you need wage only love."

Walter slapped his forehead. "He even talks like a stereotypical French man." He muttered under his breath.

"…" Sully was silent, as if trying to process what was going on. "The hell are you?!"

"Ha! Is the lady intrigued?!" He slicked his medium length hair back. "Of course you are. It's only natural. I am myth and legend! I am he who strides large across the history's greatest…" A large tomahawk nearly made contact with his face, had Walter not so generously intercepted with one of his wires.

"Get to the point!" Walter yelled as he continued to sit back and regain his stamina. He wasted more energy than usual just saving Mr. "Legend".

The man smiled sheepishly. "My name is Virion! The man who puts the "arch" in…"

Sully gave Virion a boot to the face. "Can it Ruffles! There's a battle going on!"

Virion rubbed his cheek in pain. "At least give me the courtesy of telling me your name."

Sully rolled her eyes in frustration. "I'm Sully, and I'm a Shepherd."

"A beautiful name befitting of you." Virion got down on one knee. "Will you marry me, my dear Sully?"

Walter, who was watching the entire time, face palmed. "Please tell me he's joking." In all of the butler's years, he had never seen someone as daft as Virion. "He's treating her like some damsel from a game of some sort."

It was safe to say that Sully did not respond well. She proceeded to give Virion the boot once more. After his failed attempt at wooing her, Virion just decided that he would help in the battle as best as he could.

Chrom and Frederick, who were on task, continued to finish off the remainder of the Risen horde. Chrom was suddenly back handed by a much larger Risen. It seemed to be the leader of the group.

"Hello ugly." Chrom charged at the beast, only to be met with the swing of it's axe.

Frederick attempted to spear it, but to no avail.

The Risen Chief charged at the duo, giving them little time to devise a strategy. Frederick took a direct hit from it's axe, causing Chrom to retaliate with an attack of his own. Much to the blue haired warrior's chagrin, all of his attacks were deflected.

Lissa was busy tending to Frederick's wounds. "Come on big guy. Don't go dying on me here."

The masked man, who saved Lissa earlier, watched as Chrom and the Risen Chief continued to clash.

Chrom was slowly gaining the upper hand, when a dark aura began to surround the Risen Chief. When it did, the monster began to attack more ferociously. It's attacks were more wild and it's swings became more rapid.

Chrom was steadily losing his grip on his sword. Eventually, with one final attack, the blade flew out of his hands.

As the Risen Chief went for the kill, the masked man intercepted it. This gave Chrom ample time to retrieve his sword. The duo began to quickly overwhelm the monster.

Walter noted the fact that Chrom and the masked man were mirroring each others moves. _Oddly convenient._

With one last attack, they brought the beast down.

Chrom smiled at the masked swordsman. "Those were some nice moves there, friend."

The man remained silent, only giving him a smile in return.

The duo failed to notice that the Risen Chief didn't disintegrate into smoke, and that it was slowly getting up.

"Look out!" Lissa warned the two, but it was to late. The duo turned around to see the monsters axe descending upon them.

They were surprised when the axe did not come. They both stared as the Risen Chief stood there motionless. They were even more surprised when it's head slid off it's shoulders.

Walter stood behind it, with his wires revolving him, with a cocky smirk. "You forgot to aim for the heart or the head." The aged butler clutched a sturdy stick he was using as a cane.

Frederick stood up and ran to Chrom's side. "Forgive me milord. If not for this young man's help, and Walter's wires, you would've been finished. I nearly failed my duty milord."

"Easy there Frederick." Chrom gave the great knight a reassuring smile. "They were not by my side nearly the entire duration of the fight. If it really helps you though, just know that Lissa and I think you do your duty more than well." He turned his attention to the masked man. "Thank you for saving the life of my sister and I." He gave a small bow. "My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?"

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "You may call me Marth."

Walter noted, once again, how the man's voice sounded far too feminine to be that of a man. _French accents with no France, conversations that play out as if they were ripped straight out of a video game, and men that sound far too feminine to be men. This world just keeps finding ways to surprise me._

"Marth?"

Chrom snapped Walter out of his thoughts.

"After the heroic hero king of old?" Chrom asked.

"That doesn't sound redundant at all." Walter muttered under his breath.

"You certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn your way with the sword?" Chrom asked.

Marth sighed. "I'm not here to talk about me." He responded. "This world teeters at the brink of horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude." He turned around and began to walk away. "You have been warned."

Lissa raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What's teetering where now? Hey wait!"

Frederick scoffed. "Not much for conversation, is he Walter?" Much to his surprise he was met with no answer. "Walter?"

Much to the groups surprise, Walter had seemingly vanished into thin air.

"Where'd he run off too?" Chrom rubbed the back of his head.

* * *

 **West of Ylisstol  
July 17 (3:04 P.M.)**

Marth made haste to get as far away from the group as possible. SHE wanted to make sure that SHE didn't meddle with time too much.

She lifted her mask to wash her face at a cold stream of water. "I mustn't get off track. This timeline already has some differences." She said to herself. "That man named Walter is quite the enigma. My father never mentioned someone like him, and he told me all about his fellow Shepherds." The faint sound of crickets chirping soothed her tenseness. "I can't believe how serene it is here."

"Neither can I."

Marth's hand darted for her mask, which she quickly reapplied (albeit crooked), and her sword.

"There's no need to be so jumpy. I'm not here to hurt you."

Marth looked up to see Walter standing on one of the many tree branches.

The aged butler graciously dived off the branch and acrobatically landed on his feet.

"Quite the acrobat for someone of your age." Marth quickly slashed at Walter, only for her blade to be stopped by Walter clasping the blade between his hands. "How does a man old enough to be my grandfather retain such agility and reflexes?"

Walter let out a light chuckle. "I jog a lot." He twitched a finger, causing Marth to trip over one of his wires. "I'm not that old either. I'm only 69." His wires returned to their home inside his gloves. "No need for violence. I only want to talk."

Marth sat up as she rubbed her bottom. "You instigated a fight the moment you followed me." She said bitterly.

Walter rolled his eyes as he straightened his monocle and dusted himself off. "May I remind you that you attacked first. I did say I wasn't going to hurt you young lady."

Marth did a double take upon hearing Walter call her a young "lady". "How did you…"

"…Know that you were a woman?" He finished for her. "Unlike the others, I wasn't in the midst of combat. That gave me ample time to observe you. You also just admitted it" Walter sat down beside Marth. "Your voice is far too feminine, and the fact that you're only slightly changing the pitch of your voice made it obvious." He continued. "Your figure, while doesn't seem as developed as other girls your age, is still feminine nonetheless. Men have much broader shoulders, and a man with a physique like yours wouldn't be growing small breast anytime soon."

Marth blushed slightly. She was slightly conscious about her appearance. She was always seen as a bit to mannish looking for her age. This begged the question of how Walter easily saw through her masquerade, when everyone else she's met has fallen for it.

"I take it I have your attention?" Walter moved a few strands of hair out of his face.

Marth nodded slowly.

"Good." The butler smiled. "Now I have a few questions for you, and I'm going to want them answered. Understand?"

The bluenette thought for a moment. _I don't even know if I can trust him. For all I know he's in league with Grima._

After a few seconds, Walter stood up and swiped his fingers. His monofiliment wires sprang into action, as they tied themselves around Marth.

She let out a yelp of pain as she felt the wires inhibit all of her movements. Marth saw that Walter was getting impatient.

"Look." Walter crossed his hands. "I don't want to do this, but you constitute as an unknown variable, a wild card if you may. I want to know if you're after Chrom's head. I'd rather not have him die under my watch because I was too ignorant to account for some masked woman, who lied to him about her gender. Now tell me if you understand, otherwise this will become much more painful!" He tightened his wires, causing them to draw a few drops of blood. Walter widened his eyes upon seeing tears run down Marth's cheeks. "What the hells wrong with me?" He swiped his hand, causing the wires to retract back into his gloves.

Marth gasped for air. She felt blood trickle down her arm, as a small gash had formed.

Walter pulled out a handkerchief from within his waistcoat, and proceeded to dip it into the stream of water. He gently rubbed the gash as he soothingly massaged her back. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "I don't know what came over me." Walter saw Marth was muttering incoherently. She seemed to be suffering from trauma of some sort.

"I had no right to attack you, especially since I told you I wasn't going to." Walter dipped the handkerchief in water once more, and continued to wash the wound with it.

Marth felt soothed as she was being treated by Walter. It was almost as if the father, that she never got to experience, had come to care for her in this moment.

The bleeding finally stopped after a few minutes. Walter promptly dried off the handkerchief, and then wrapped it around the cut.

"Good as new." He smiled as he sat beside Marth once again. "I'm sorry, once again." Walter sighed. "Where I come from my former associates, and many of enemies, often called me the Angel of Death. There were times I just lost my temper when I was younger, but never to that degree." He let out a half hearted chuckle. "I guess the names are fitting."

Marth paused for a moment. She saw the scars of war upon Walter. They weren't actual physical scars, but scars on his psyche. Walter was a man that suffered, to the point that he lost control of himself. The bluenette couldn't help but shudder to imagine the kind of war that Walter went through. "Can I trust you?"

Walter raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

"Lucina." She took off her mask. "My real name is Lucina."

Walter took a moment to take in her delicate beauty. She had very soft details to her face, along with beautiful dark blue eyes. He gave a smile. "Walter C. Dornez."

Lucina yawned as she slowly stood up. "It's best if we part ways." She reapplied her mask.

The aged butler nodded. "You're right." He stood up beside her. "I wouldn't want Chrom to think I abandoned him." Walter shook Lucina's hand and proceeded to leave.

Lucina to began to leave as well.

"Don't worry!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Walter smirking at her with his hand in the air.

"I won't tell anyone your real name and gender." He laughed.

Lucina chuckled. "Thank you, Walter." She watched as Walter suddenly pulled himself into the tree's with his wires.

The Angel of Death began to effortlessly jump from tree to tree. "That's another mystery to be solved." He saw smoke, from what seemed to be a campfire. Determining that that's where Chrom and the others were camping, Walter made haste to get there before he ran out of time to sleep.  
 _This world teeters at the edge of a horrible calamity._ Lucina's words echoed through his mind. _If she's telling the truth, then it's best to be on my toes. God knows what that calamity is._

 _ **With Lucina's foreboding message in his head, Walter prepares himself for he future. What was wrong with Walter during his fight against the Risen? Who is Lucina? Walter's list of unanswered questions continues to grow as his journey through this world continues…**_

 _ **NEXT TIME!**_

* * *

 _ **Writer's notes  
Is it not obvious I enjoyed this one?**_

 _ **Walter's little psycho moment, along with his moment of exhaustion, is important if you haven't caught on already. Expect to see a bit more of that in the future.**_

 ** _See you next chapter!_**


	3. Shepherds

**_DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS_**

 ** _FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER._**

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 **BOLD= IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT**

 ** _BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR_**

 ** _(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)_**

 **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**

* * *

Chapter 3: Shepherds

 **Ylisstol, The Central of Ylisse** **  
 **July 17 (9:21 A.M.)****

The group wandered through the crowded streets of Ylisstol.

Walter managed to reenter the camp earlier that night, without drawing too much attention to himself. Chrom did question him that morning, but Walter easily dodged his questions.

"So this is Ylissetol, the capital of Ylisse." Walter admired the architecture of the city. Although he was used to the modern day look of London, that didn't mean he couldn't admire the medieval, almost renaissance, look that Ylisstol had. "Quite the bustling capital."

The streets were filled with pedestrians. Various vendors, and markets, lined the side walks. Signs were at nearly every street corner, each pointing to either a market or a restaurant.

"It seems the Risen did not make it to the city." Frederick commented. "It seems the city was also spared the horrible quake, as there is no evidence that one even occurred."

"That's a relief." Lissa said cheerfully.

The townsfolk suddenly began to gather up. "Look! Her exalt has come to visit us!"

Walter looked passed the crowd to see an ornately dressed woman walking through the crowd. She had blonde hair, like Lissa's, and the same mark that Chrom had on his right shoulder on her forehead. "The exalt is your ruler, I'm guessing?"

Frederick nodded. "Yes, her name is Lady Emmeryn."

The butler noted how at peace Emmeryn looked. "Is it safe for her to be wandering amongst the crowd like that, without an armed guard? What if she were to get attacked?"

"The exalt is a symbol of Ylissean peace, Walter." The armored lancer explained. "Peace is one of Ylisse's most prized qualities. This is do to the fact that a long time ago, at the dawn of our age, a fell dragon attempted to destroy our world. The first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low."

Chrom sighed. "With Plegia constantly poking at our boarders, the people of Ylisse need her now more than ever. Her presence seems to calm the people's fears of war."

"Then Ylisse is very lucky. Most rulers would've declared war if they were invaded daily." The aged butler smiled.

"She's also the best big sister ever!" Lissa shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Yes, I'd imagine that she would..." Walter paused for a moment. Alarm bells went off within his head as he slapped his forehead. "I swear, I am completely oblivious sometimes. You and Chrom are the princess and prince of Ylisse."

Chrom was amused as Walter straightened his posture.

"Forgive me for my dreadful manners, sir." Walter went into complete butler mode. "May I get you anything?"

"It's fine Walter." Chrom chuckled. "Just because I'm royalty, doesn't mean you should address me in such a formal manner. I'm not one for formalities." The blue haired lord beckoned Walter to follow. "Let's head for the palace. I have no doubt that Emm is waiting for us. I have no doubt that she would love to meet you, Walter."

* * *

 **Ylisstol, Royal Palace** **  
 **July 17 (10:00 A.M.)****

The palace was massive in comparison to the Hellsing Mansion. That was to be expected, of course, since one is a mansion and the other is a palace.

Walter followed Chrom and company into the throne room, where Emmeryn was waiting for them.

"Chorm! Lissa! Welcome home." Emmeryn spoke with a soft tone that highlighted her regality. "Good day to you as well, Frederick. How fared you all?"

"Well, we shouldn't have any problems with bandits for the time being, since our new friend scared them all half to death." Chrom referred to Walter.

"Is that so?" Emmeryn inspected the aged butler.

Out of habit, Walter straightened his posture and bowed.

The exalt laughed at how polite Walter was acting. "He looks, and acts, more like a butler than a warrior. What is your name?"

"My name is Walter C. Dornez." He replied. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Emmeryn. Your siblings have spoken rather highly of you."

"I would hope that they did." Emmeryn laughed. "You have my highest sense of gratitude for defending Ylisse's people."

Walter bowed once more, in the traditional butleresque fashion. "I am pleased that you're pleased ma'am."

"If I could interject." Chrom stepped forward. "With your permission, I would like to make Walter an honorary Shepherd. He not only saved our lives once, but twice. I think it's only fitting that he joined our ranks."

Her exalt nodded. "He has garnered your trust, so he has garnered mine. The Shepherds could use a gentleman like him."

Chrom nodded as Frederick stepped forward. "Unfortunately, that is all for good news, milady." The lancer stood tall. "The brigands that Walter scared away were, in fact, Plegians. This means that our fears have been confirmed. Plegia is starting to invade, albeit very slowly."

"This comes as no surprise." Emmeryn sighed. "Please, continue Frederick."

"I take it you also heard of our encounter last night?" Frederick asked.

"Yes." Emmeryn's bodyguard, Phila, stepped forward. "This was not the first attack by these creatures. Small towns have been reporting attacks led by, what they can only describe as, the risen dead. So far our men have been containing the situation, albeit rather sloppily." the captain of the Pegasus Knights crossed her arms. "We don't have any idea where to hit these creatures to permanently subdue them. The only option we have, so far, is to continuously slash at them until they stay down."

Walter stepped forward once more. "Have you tried attacking either the heart or the head?" He suggested. "We found it to be the quickest way of dealing with these monstrosities."

"How did this idea occur to you?"

The aged butler sighed. "I'll give you the most basic explanation that I can give you. Where I come from, we have these creatures called ghouls. Ghouls are what happens to deflowered humans when they are bitten by a vampire." Lissa was about to ask a question, but Walter placed his hand on her lips. "Don't ask what a vampire is, because they're basically irrelevant in this situation. Anyway, Ghouls and "The Risen", I so fittingly dubbed the creatures from last night, were very similar in appearance. As a former master vampire, and ghoul, hunter, it was only natural for me to aim for the heart and head of these creatures."

Feeling that the answer was satisfactory, Phila shot Walter a smile. "Thank you for this information. I'll be sure to inform our soldiers about this weakness." She then left to spread the knowledge of the weakness.

"If that's all, then Chrom and I must attend a meeting with the city councilors." Emmeryn gave a polite bow as she and Chrom left the room.

Lissa grabbed hold of Walter's hand a second later, and began to drag him away."Come on, Walter! I'm gonna show you where the garrison is for the Shepherds!"

"I'm pretty sure I can find it on my own." The aged butler smiled sheepishly as he was carted out of the room.

* * *

 **Ylisstol, Shepherds' garrison  
July 17 (11:12 A.M.)**

"Here we are!" Lissa opened the doors to the garrison, and led Walter inside. "The Shepherds' garrison. Go on and make yourself at home."

Walter honestly didn't know what to think. For a garrison, it was fine, but it lacked in the organization department. The entirety of the garrison was a cluttered mess. There were crates, and barrels, of weapons all over the place. The walls were stained with some form of dirt. Various forms of trash littered the ground. Finally, cobwebs were found at just about every corner of the room. It was a mess, plain and simple.

"I don't think I've ever been anywhere more filthy than this very garrison." Walter muttered under his breath. "This place is definitely a fixer upper."

"Lissa, my treasure!" A young lady, about Lissa's age ran up to the blonde healer. "Are you alright? I've been on pins and needles!" She pulled Lissa into a tight embrace.

"Oh, hey Maribelle." Lissa wriggled out of the embrace.

"Don't "Oh, hey" me! I've sprouted 14 gray hairs fretting over you!" Maribelle glared daggers at the other blonde.

Lissa grinned like a child. "Aw, you worry too much. I can handle a battle or two! Although, I could do without the bugs and the bear stew."

Walter scoffed. "I seem to recall that you enjoyed my cooking." The aged butler crossed his arms. "In fact, you found the stew so delicious, you begged me to cook more."

Lissa glared at the butler. "Oh, shut up. I was hungry."

"Believe what you want to believe."

"Hey, squirt!" A muscular man with pale gold hair walked into the garrison. "Where's Chrom? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' Teach and his trusty axe!"

The blond healer rolled her eyes. "Oh, so you're "Teach" now, Vaike." Lissa chuckled to herself. "And here I thought the lack of wits was something you were born with. I guess you can teach it as well."

"Ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" His expression then soured. "Wait… Was that an insult!"

Walter chuckled as he watched the comedy before him.

"If I may beg your pardon…" A gentle voice spoke out. It belonged to a woman, at least Chrom's age. "When might we see the captain?"

"Poor Sumia. She's simply been beside herself with concern." Maribelle spoke in an almost taunting tone, which somewhat irritated Walter. "Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. She might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded."

"You weren't exactly much better, ma'am." Walter suddenly spoke up, startling everyone, minus Lissa. "I seem to recall that you said that you "sprouted 14 gray hairs" fretting over Lissa." The butler smiled at Sumia. "I find it sweet that she would worry for Chrom's safety. I know I would worry, as well."

Sumia blushed slightly. "Worry? Well, I… He's our captain and our prince…um…I…of course I'd worry!"

Vaike raised an eyebrow. "So whose the old butler?"

Walter did the signature butler bow. "My name is Walter C. Dornez."

"Chrom recruited him into our ranks." Lissa explained. "He's really strong! You should see all the tricks he's got up his sleeve"

There was silence throughout the garrison. The silence was broken by Vaike bursting into laughter.

"Are you sure Chrom's not going crazy?" Vaike scoffed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but this guy's old."

Walter didn't flinch at Vaike's insult. "Nonsense, Vaike. I'm still in my golden years. Besides…" The butler suddenly appeared behind Vaike and easily locked the warrior's arm. "I'm only 69. That's not that old." Walter quickly flipped Vaike, and then took him to the ground.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Vaike pounded the ground in pain.

Walter smirked as he released his grip on the warrior. "Maybe you should call me Teach instead."

Lissa burst into laughter as Vaike collected what was left of his dignity, and sat down in a chair in the corner.

Maribelle rolled her eyes as she stormed off. "A gentleman and a muscle head. I'd hoped he Walter was cut from finer cloth."

"Don't take it to heart, Walter" Sumia smiled sheepishly at Walter. "Maribelle will warm up to you eventually."

"Or she burns too quickly." Lissa snickered. "But seriously, just give her time."

The doors burst open once more, making way for Chrom.

"Ah! Captain, you've returned!" Sumia took a few steps forward. "I was…er I mean, we were so…" The Pegasus Knight suddenly slipped on a pile of papers.

"Sumia!" Chrom rushed over to her side. "Are you alright? Was it those boots of yours again?" The blue haired prince helped Sumia to her feet.

"No!" Sumia answered quickly. "I mean, yes! I mean…" She let out a hefty sigh. "Nevermind…"

Chrom nodded as he stood at the center of the room.

"I take it you have news, sir?" Walter sat in a chair beside Vaike, who was slowly edging away from Walter.

"Yes." Chrom cleared his throught. "All right, listen up. Tomorrow morning we'll be marching over to Regna Ferox."

"Regna Ferox?" The aged butler raised his hand, out of politeness. "What's Regna Ferox?"

"It's a unified kingdom to the north of Ylisse's boarders." Sumia explained. "It's inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said."

"They aren't barbarians, Sumia." Chrom continued. "It's actually inhabited by warriors. Warriors whose strength should come in handy to defeat the most recent menace, The Risen." He paused for a moment to check that everyone was following. "Normally, the exalt would request aid in person, but the recent events have the people fearing what would happen if my sister were to leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us."

There were nods around the room.

"Now, this mission is strictly voluntary. So if any…"

"I volunteer!" Lissa interrupted her brothers speech.

Vaike raised his hand. "I volunteer! You'll be needin ol' Teach for this one!"

"I'll go as well."

Walter took note of the last volunteer. No one else seemed to notice the huge fellow in the corner. "Where did he come from?" He muttered under his breath.

"I… I… um…" Sumia stuttered.

"Yes, Sumia?" Chrom raised an eyebrow.

The Pegasus Knight sighed again. "It's just that I don't think I'm ready for a proper mission just yet." She said sadly. "I'll probably just get in the way."

Before Chrom could respond, Walter stood up and patted her on the back. "I volunteer to keep an eye on Sumia." The butler earned a look of skepticism from Vaike.

"I'm not sure, Walter." Chrom put his hand on his chin.

"You know for a fact that I'm more than capable of defending multiple people." The former Hellsing weapon added. "I'll make sure that nothing happens to her, Chrom. You have my word."

The prince of Ylisse was silent for awhile. "Very well. Just make sure that Sumia is by your side at all times. As for everyone else…" He turned his attention toward the rest of the Shepherds. "We leave Ylisstol at 8:00 A.M. tomorrow."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

 **The Northroad** _  
_ **July 18 (9:00 A.M.)**

The Shepherds spent the last hour marching north of Ylisstol. Chrom suddenly stopped the group midway.

"Is everyone ready?" Chrom asked. "We've got a long march ahead."

"W… Wait for me!"

The group turned to see a man in a mad rush to catch up to the them.

Chrom shook his head in slight annoyance. "Stahl…"

"Why was I the last to hear about this expedition to Ferox?" The armor clad knight gasped for air.

Lissa grunted in frustration. "Vaike…"

The blonde haired warrior tiook a few steps back. "What?"

Walter smiled in amusement. "Weren't you supposed to inform the Shepherds that didn't attend the meeting about the mission? It seems ol' Teach is beginning to grow forgetful." The butler taunted.

"Hey!" Vaike glared at Walter. "The Vaike never forgets! I just don't always remember, is all."

"That's called forgetting." Walter retorted.

"I swear, Vaike." Lissa scoffed. "If you didn't constantly shout your name, you'd forget that too." The blonde healer sighed. "In fact, did you remember your axe this time?"

"Hey!" The warrior shook his fist at the Ylissean princess. "That was only one time! … Okay, twice, but training sessions don't count." Vaike slung a large bag over his shoulder. "I have my axe right here, so I'm ready to roll!"

"I may not be." Stahl clutched his stomach. "I missed breakfast. There was so much food too. Cakes, muffins, and… I guess I'll tell you guys while we march."

Walter stuck his hand out towards Stahl. "I don't believe we've been acquainted. My name is Walter Dornez."

Stahl shook Walter's hand cheerfully. "Nice to meet you. My name is Stahl. Miriel told me we had a new Shepherd. I didn't expect him to be so…" his voice trailed off.

"Old?" Vaike finished for the green clad knight.

The aged butler smirked. "Don't worry, Stahl. I have plenty of life in me."

Sumia stepped out from Walter's shadow. "I'm shadowing Walter, today." The Pegasus Knight said cheerfully.

"It's good to see you, Sumia." Stahl smiled at his fellow Shepherd. "I just hope Walter's up to the task."

"Don't worry, guys." Chrom joined in the conversation. "Walter is much more than capable of holding his own."

"Milord!"

The group turned to see Frederick riding towards them. The lancer was sent to scout the road ahead.

"What is it, Frederick?" The blue haired prince unsheathed his sword. "Is something wrong?"

Frederick nodded. "The road ahead is littered with Risen."

"My God…" Walter looked beyond the horizon to see countless Risen ahead of them. "Have the Risen really spread this far?"

"Remember…" Chrom got into his battle stance. "Aim for the heart or the head."

Vaike unzipped the bag containing his axe. "I'm definitely going to leave an impression on them with my…" The blonde warrior paused.

Walter and Lissa shook their heads in annoyance.

Sully walked up to Vaike and back handed him. "YOU FORGOT YOUR AXE AGAIN!? THIS IS THE THIRD TIME, IDIOT!"

Walter slipped his gloves on. "Vaike, stay close to me. We may not be the best of friends, but I'd rather you not die today."

Vaike was going to protest, but the sight of Walter's wires springing into action silenced him.

"Woah…" Sumia stared at the wires in fascination. "How do you do that?"

Walter stared at the Risen filled horizon "Practice."

Frederick hopped onto his horse. "Clear a path to the north! Leave no Risen standing"

The group charged the Risen, while Walter stayed back to defend Vaike if any Risen dared to attack.

The group easily cut down any Risen in their path. Despite being outnumbered, the Risen posed little to no challenge for the Shepherds.

The Risen took notice of how Walter stayed in the back, and attempted to attack the "defenseless" old man. Much to the surprise of the group of Risen, they seemed to be slowly falling apart.

"Ignorant fools." Walter's wires danced around him cutting the Risen in his path. "You pose no threat to me."

Sumia joined in the fray, and attacked any undead that Walter missed. She gracefully speared her opponents with her lance.

 _She's not half bad._ The butler smiled at Sumia's impressive skill with the lance.

"Can I get some help here!"

Walter and Sumia turned to see Vaike, running away from a group of Risen. While the situation was dire, it was still somewhat comical to the duo.

"I thought I told you to stay close to me." Walter sighed. "Did you forget how to follow orders, as well?"

Vaike glared at the Angel of Death, whilst fleeing his attackers. "Ha ha! Very funny! Now can you save me!?"

Walter scoffed at Vaike's plight. He eyed an even greater group of Risen approaching from the west. "Sumia." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Can you go save Vaike? The Risen seem to have reinforcements on hold."

Sumia looked down. "I'm not sure I…"

"Don't feed yourself that two bit "I can't do it" nonsense." Walter stopped her mid-sentence. "I've been watching you fight the entire time, Sumia. You're just as skilled, with a lance, as Frederick and Sully. You honestly don't need me to protect you." The butler snapped his fingers, causing his wires to cut up a Risen that was crawling up behind him. "Go, help Vaike."

The Pegasus Knight let Walter's words sink in. "Got it."

Sumia let out a loud whistle, catching the attention of the Risen chasing Vaike. "Hey, freaks!" The soft spoken brunette gripped her lance tightly. "Come and get me!"

Taking the bait, the undead corpses charged at Sumia. Pausing to see what Walter was up to, Chrom was shocked by Sumia's sudden surge in confidence.

The group of Risen raised their axes to attack, only to be batted out of the way by the sudden appearance of a Pegasus.

"That's a good girl." Sumia quickly mounted the Pegasus. "Lets show these guys what we can do." Showcasing why she was a Pegasus Knight, Sumia began to decimate the Risen.

Frederick and Stahl bum rushed several squads of Risen, on horseback, leaving a trail of disintegrating corpses in their wake.

"You've improved, Stahl." Fredrick decapitated a Risen that had rushed him. "Last time we battled together, you almost fell off your horse several times. Did you glue yourself to your horse?" The brown haired lancer joked.

"Hey, the drill instructor CAN crack jokes." Stahl retorted. "In seriousness, your advise from a few weeks ago helped." He chucked a javelin straight into the chest of an incoming enemy.

"Glad to hear that."

Sully had been soloing a group of the undead bastards for awhile. "Hell yeah! I am good!" Unfortunately, she was so into the moment that she failed to notice that she missed one.

 _Whoosh!_

A well placed arrow stopped the Risen from dealing Sully any damage.

"You should really watch your back, my dearest Sully." Virion stood a good distance away, sniping any Risen that was within his range.

The red haired calvarier rolled her eyes at Virion's sad attempt at winning her heart. "Why don't you mind your own business, Ruffles! I don't need your help!"

The Archest of Archers sniped another Risen that was crawling up behind Sully. "I beg to differ, milady." Virion rapid fired three arrows, each hitting their mark. "You seem to have problems watching your own back. Your too cocky."

Sully clicked her teeth in annoyance. "I'm cocky!? If I'm cocky, then I'd hate to know what the hell you are!" She took out her frustration on a few more Risen.

"Well, I have a right to be cocky." He dodged a barrage of throwing axes. "My kill count, as of this moment, is ahead of yours by about 10." Virion pulled out two arrows, and embedded them into the skulls of two Risen. "Make that 12."

"Is that so!?" Sully ran down a whole mob of the undead enemy. "If you want to compete, then we'll compete. I'll show you that I don't need a pathetic noble man watching my back!

The silver haired archer sighed. "Very well. Prepare to be left in my dust."

While the two "Lovebirds" competed for dominance, Walter held off the reinforcements that were pouring from across the bridge to the north. The aged butler continued to showcase the skills that earned him the moniker, Angel of Death. Luminescent blue wires danced across the bridge, leaving his enemies decimated.

"Pathetic pieces of trash." Walter summoned his wires back to his side. A barrage of arrows flew straight at him. Each arrow was cut out of the sky by the razor sharp wires.

Vaike seemed to be the only one not in the heat of battle. You really couldn't blame him though, since he lost his axe. So yeah, the situation he was in was entirely his fault.

"Where the hell is my axe!" Vaike hid behind a rock while Sumia continued to protect him.

"I wondered what manner of ignoramus would mislay their weapon."

Vaike turned around to see a female mage standing over him, with his axe in hand. "Whoa, that's my axe! Thanks, Miriel!"

Miriel rolled her eyes in annoyance. "The duration that you've managed to survive baffles even I. Take your axe and get to work." The sociopathic mage tossed Vaike his axe. "The next time you misplace your weapon, I'll fasten the weapon to your hands… permanently."

The warrior gulped as he ran off to aid Sumia.

Walter and Chrom stood, back-to-back, cutting down Risen in unison.

"I'm beginning to tire, sir." Walter breathed heavily. "It feels like I've been cutting down Risen for an eternity."

Chrom dodged an incoming arrow. "So am I. The Risen aren't letting up."

The two were beginning to steadily get surrounded. Despite the versatility of Walter's wires, they were slowly losing their effectiveness. It was getting to the point that they were beginning to lose their luminescent glow.

"Hey Walter." Chrom took note of the slowly weakening wires. "What's going on?"

The butler clicked his teeth in frustration. "The power of my wires is based on my stamina and considering my age…" He wrapped his wires around the legs of a Risen and then tossed it into it's allies. "I'm nowhere near my prime."

Chrom smirked. "I can't imagine how powerful you were at your prime." His sword cut through the Risen like butter. "Hey Frederick!"

The great knight paused duel with the Risen Chief. "Yes milord?"

The group of Risen that they were dueling were slowly closing in on Walter and Chrom. "I think we can use some help here." Walter said simply as his wires began to quickly lose their glow.

Frederick nodded as he dodged an incoming axe strike from the Risen Chief. He made a beeline for Walter and Chrom, shoving anything that dared to get in his way.

Seeing the Great Knight in action, Miriel provided decent cover fire with her fire tome. She pelted the unsuspecting Risen with a hail of flames. "I seem to have cleared you a path, Frederick." The battle mage said simply. "I recommend you take this advantageous circumstance whilst you have ample time."

Frederick nodded as he jumped into the mash pit of Risen that surrounded Chrom and Walter.

Walter's wires finally faded into his gloves. He quickly realized that he was useless without a weapon. "Frederick, hand me your sword!"

The lancer unsheathed his spare sword and tossed at the aged butler. "I assume you know how to use one?"

Walter caught the blade and entered a fighting stance. "It's been awhile." He slashed cleanly through several Risen. "Of course, I did teach my former master how to use one, so I'm not that rusty."

Sumia managed to stop the steady onslaught of Risen that came from the south, with very minimal aid from Vaike.

"That's what you get for messin with the Vaike!" The blonde warrior raised his axe in triumph. "Who's on top now!"

Sumia shook her head in amusement. "I seem to recall that half the time they were chasing you around the battlefield." Her eyes wandered over to the large group of Risen that were very quickly overwhelming Walter, Chrom, and Frederick. "Chrom!"

The three warriors had nowhere to go. There weren't any openings or gaps in the horde. Worst of all, they were quickly losing steam.

Walter's swordsmanship, for lack of a better word, was mediocre. He hadn't any need to pick up a sword in years. By the time Integra was 15, she easily outmatched him in terms of sword combat. There were times when he'd have to resort to using his monofilament wires just to avoid getting hit, which Integra always called him out on. Eventually Alucard began to teach her the finer points of the sword, passing down everything he knew about the art. _I'm going to need to study swordplay again if my wires are going to crap out on me like that. My age and stamina have never been a problem in past few years. So why do they crap out on me now of all times?_

"Walter, heads up!" Sumia guided her Pegasus over the group.

The butler looked up to see Sumia on her Pegasus. A clever idea quickly popped up into Walter's head. "Sumia, can a Pegasus handle the combined weight of 4 people!?"

Sumia nodded. "I guess. Do you need any help down there?"

"I think we're going to need to take a flight out of here, Sumia!" Walter slashed at several more Risen. "Chrom, Federick! I need you two to cover me!"

The Pegasus knight quickly realized what Walter was up to. "He's either the most insane old man I've ever seen, or the cleverest."

Frederick jabbed his lance straight through several of his undead opponents. "What for?"

The butler tried to concentrate as much energy as he could into his gloves. "I may have an escape route…" Walter's wires weren't responding to his commands. _Come on. I just need you do one last thing. Just do it!_ He smiled as the wires attached to his right glove faded back into existence, albeit very dimly. "Take my hand, Chrom."

"What're you doing?" Chrom grabbed hold of Walter's free hand.

The butler smiled as his wires wrapped around the leg of Sumia's Pegasus. He gave Sumia a thumbs up.

"Walter…" Chrom quickly realized what was about to happen. "Don't you dare…"

Walter smiled sheepishly as Sumia's Pegasus dragged the butler, the lancer, and the prince into the air.

Frederick and Chrom screamed their heads off as they were dragged out of the mash pit made up of Risen. Walter chuckled to himself as he watched the two scream for their lives.

"And for my next trick." The aged butler eyed the horde of Risen. "I have just enough energy to do this…" He used the last of his stamina to cut the group into nothing but bloody bits.

"Walter." Chrom looked towards the ground. "if you have only just enough energy to do that, how are your wires still attached to Sumia's Pegasus?"

The words hit Walter a second later. "Oh dear…"

As if on cue, the wires retracted back into the butler's glove. The three Shepherds dropped like rocks a moment later. While Chrom and Frederick fell on their backs, Walter landed in a much more graceful manner.

"That went better than I thought it would." The Angel of Death dusted himself off. "Are you two alright?"

Frederick only gave a thumbs up, while Chrom steadily got to his feet.

"Never do that again." The prince of Ylisse coughed up some dirt.

Walter smirked at his young master's exhaustion. "No promises, sir." His attention turned to the Risen Chief. "Chrom, Frederick, I recommend you two rest up. We seem to have one last hurdle to jump over."

"Are you sure you can take it?" Frederick sat up. "You look no better than us."

The butler eyed the remaining Shepherds. Vaike was being tended to by Lissa, Stahl looked like he was out of steam, and Miriel seemed to be distracted by the vegetation, which really annoyed Walter to no end. Finally, Sumia seemed to be engaged with the Risen Chief. "What!?"

Sumia charged the monster on her Pegasus. As lance and axe clashed, it became apparent that she was fighting a losing battle. One good punch to the face later, Sumia was launched off her Pegasus.

The Risen Chief raised his axe, intending to go for the kill, but was suddenly stabbed through the back by a silver sword. It slowly disintegrated into smoke.

The Pegasus Knight looked up to see Walter, who looked fairly tired.

"You shouldn't have faced… the… leader… alone…" Walter coughed as he dropped to one knee. "Am I going to need to save you lot… every time… you… so much as… stub your toe?" He said jokingly.

Sumia ran to the butler's side. "Are you okay?"

Walter shook his head. "I'd be sarcastic, but it appears I'm burning through more stamina than I usually do." Walter coughed up a glob of blood. "These side effects…" His eyes widened in shock. "This can't be what I think it is."

Sumia patted Walter on the back. "What's wrong?"

The butler was about to answer when he suddenly lost all control of his body. As he slowly blacked out, he heard shouts for Lissa.

 _Damn you… Millennium._

* * *

 **The Northroad** _  
_ **July 18 (8:12 P.M.)**

 _Where am I?_ Walter slowly sat up to see that he was inside a tent. His eyes shifted toward the back of his hand. On the palm of his right hand was an odd symbol that seemed to resemble a six-eyed creature. On the back was something that resembled Alucard's sealing sigil. _What in God's name…?_

"You're awake."

Walter looked up, quickly concealing his hand in the process, to see Chrom at the entrance of the tent. "What happened?"

Chrom pulled up a chair and sat next to the butler. "You blacked out after we secured our victory. We set up camp as quickly as we could, as you were apparently in critical condition according to Lissa."

"Is that so?" Walter sighed in sadness. "Maybe I should head back to Ylisstol. I do not wish to be a burden."

"Don't be hard on yourself, Walter." The blue haired prince said reassuringly. "You were extremely helpful on the battlefield. We may not have won that battle without those amazing wires of yours, even if they gave out midway through the battle."

The butler saw his black fingerless gloves on a table next to him. "If only I had access to my other two pairs of gloves."

"What would a different pair of gloves do to help you?" Chrom placed a hand on his chin.

"Allow me to explain the basic mechanics of my monofilament wires." He grabbed his signature fingerless gloves. "I used to own three pairs of gloves, a white pair, a black pair, and these gloves right here. Each pair had varying strengths. The white pair gave me access to a substantially weaker variation of my wires, with the upside being the fact that it took a lot less effort to use them in turn. The black pair were balanced, not too strong or tiresome. My fingerless pair contain the most powerful wires at my disposal, but they take far too much energy to use continuously in battle."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Can't you make a new pair of gloves? I doubt attaching wires to a pair of gloves would be that difficult."

Walter shook his head. "There's a reason I only kept three pairs of gloves." The butler scoffed at Chrom's naivety. "The alchemy involved in making even the weakest version of my gloves would take at least a month to create. Not to mention the ritual needed to bless the wires requires immense concentration which I, as we are currently in the middle of a campaign, don't have at the moment."

"I see." Chrom stood up. "Well as your superior, I order you to remain with the group for the entirety of this mission."

The Angel of Death laughed at his master's order. "Very well. By your orders, Sir."

The Ylissean prince nodded as he exited the tent. As he did, Walter's smile turned into a scowl.

"It seems I'm not quite as free as I thought I was." He muttered to himself. "The artificial vampiric process seems to still have it's hold on me. I hope the Major burns in hell for what he did to me, and to London." Walter examined symbols on his right hand. "A six-eyed beast and a sealing sigil. I doubt I'll find out what the six-eyed creature is, but a sealing sigil implies that something has been sealed within me. The question is, what got sealed?" Walter sighed in annoyance. "Add that to my list of ever growing questions. I might as well get some more rest. I have no doubt that tomorrow may just be just as exhausting as today, maybe more so." The butler drifted back to sleep, unaware that his list of question was only going to grow.

 _ **With another battle behind him, Walter continues his adventure through the land of Ylisse. What is it that the sealing sigil is sealing and what is the meaning of the second symbol on the palm of his hand? Find out...**_

 _ **Next Time!**_


	4. Angel of Death

__**DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS**__

 _ _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**__

 _ _ITALICS=THOUGHTS__

 ** **BOLD= IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT****

 _ _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**__

 _ _ **(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**__

 ** **Walter Dornez of the Emblem****

* * *

Chapter 4: Angel of Death

 ** **South Regna Ferox  
July 19 (6:12 A.M.)****

Walter woke up incredibly early the next morning, long before any of the other Shepherds would wake up. The butler decided that it would be best if he were to practice his swordplay, in case his wires decided to crap out. He found a nice clearing and began to practice various forms of swordplay. He slashed nice clean cuts into a huge tree, trying to practice his precision.

 _ _Come on Walter! I'm not that naïve little girl anymore, Walter…__

Walter paused as he recalled the last time he picked up a sword.

* * *

 ** **London, England ~ Hellsing Mansion  
October 2, 1992 (7 years before the Millennium incident…)****

Walter quickly sidestepped to dodge an incoming sword swing. He stepped in to deliver a powerful stab, but the attack was parried midway. His opponent traded blows with the butler for a few more seconds before jumping back to gain some distance from Walter.

"You're still holding back, aren't you Walter? Walter's opponent pulled off the headgear protecting her face. She had long golden hair that dropped below her waist. Her skin was a dark cream color. She had steely blue eyes that were somewhat obscured by her circular framed glasses.

"Whatever gave you that idea, Sir Integra?" He feigned ignorance.

The 15 year old head of Hellsing frowned at her loyal butler. "I've known you long enough to know when you're lying." She took a seat on a bench at the edge of the ring. "I also know that you are capable of moving much faster than you were just now."

Walter sighed in defeat. "Integra…" He addressed her, this time in a manner that a father would towards his daughter. "If I moved at my full speed, I doubt that I would lose control of myself like I did during the war. I just worry that I would end up being too much for you to handle."

Integra shot Walter a smirk. "Are you calling me weak?"

The Angel of Death shuddered as he edged closer to the wrath of Integra Hellsing. "Of course not, ma'am!" He answered quickly.

"Come on Walter! I'm not that naïve little girl anymore, Walter." The young teenager frowned. "How do you expect me to get stronger if you keep holding back? I can't be a strong leader if my butler doesn't have complete faith in me."

Walter was speechless.  
 _ _The tenacity…__ He never expected Integra to confront him in such a manner. __She really is growing up. If only Arthur could see you now, Integra. You have become such a strong independent woman__ _._ Walter eyed his foil. He quickly kicked it into the air, where he caught it with minimal effort. "You're right, ma'am. I've been treating you like a child. You deserve the respect that I gave your father, ma'am. I shall come at you with all I have, and I expect you to do the same."

Integra nodded as she reapplied her helmet. "You make the first move, Walter."

The butler nodded as he crossed the distance between them within a fraction of a second.

He couldn't hide his disbelief, or his sense of pride, when Integra won the match.

* * *

 ** **South Regna Ferox  
July 19 (6:21 A.M.)****

Walter blinked as he realized that he had been staring into nothing for the past few minutes. He felt something foreign to him streak down his left cheek.

Years under the Hellsing influence had hardened him to the point he was capable of an unnatural coldness. He always considered himself to be on the boarder between human and vampire. The deaths of his colleagues over the years were etched into his memory, but he never mourned as there were always vampires to send to hell.

There was only one thing that kept Walter from not becoming something akin to Alucard. It was Integra. She seemed to be the only one that could get the stoic butler to crack something akin to a true smile. She was the only one that could get him to feel emotions other than the cruel seriousness that earned him the moniker, Angel of Death.

As of that moment, Integra was the only person that could ever make him cry.

Walter wiped the tears from his eyes and just stared at his hand for awhile.

"You stare at your hand as if this is the first time you've ever cried."

The butler slightly turned his head to see a familiar masked woman. "You're making a habit of appearing out of thin air, ma'am."

The blue-haired warrior took a seat on a nearby tree stump. "I hardly think that doing something twice counts as a habit, Mr. Dornez."

Walter sat down next to the young woman. "I'd prefer it if you don't call me Mr. Dornez. I'm a butler, not a school teacher. Keep it simple and call me by my first name, ma'am."

Lucina took off her mask as she began to untie the twin braids that kept her hair short. "I find it rather hypocritical of you to call me ma'am, Walter." When she was done untying her braids, her hair fell down to her hips. "If I'm going to call you Walter, then I'd prefer it if you call me Lucina."

"What if we're around my fellow Shepherds?" Walter sat back and relaxed. "You must not want the others to know your real name if you've only told me about it. I assume you want to remain incognito?"

She nodded. "It's best if I do remain incognito."

The aged butler raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you tell me your real name? I hope I didn't intimidate you into telling me." He recalled how he lost complete control of himself. He very nearly cut Lucina into cold cuts.

"It's not that, Walter." Lucina crossed her arms. "I don't know why I told you. I guess I felt that you were trustworthy."

Walter let out a hefty sigh. "I would say that Chrom is much more trustworthy than I. Why not tell him?"

The young woman shook her head violently. "No! The results would be catastrophic!" Her hand quickly shot down to her side as she collapsed onto one knee.

"Are you okay?" Walter ran to her side. "What happened?" He moved her hand to see a medium sized arrow wound in her side. It was bleeding, telling him that the wound was recently inflicted.

Lucina bit her lip. "I had a run in with a few bandits. They ambushed me, and a arrow struck me in the side." She took in a deep breath. "I haven't gotten the chance to get it treated…"

The butler pulled out a handkerchief and poured some medical alcohol on it. He then pressed the wet cloth against the wound, to completely stop the bleeding.

The blue-haired warrior hissed as she felt the sting of Walter's alcohol drenched handkerchief. That did cause Lucina to grow curious about one thing.

"Do you usually carry around medical supplies like that?" Lucina raised an eyebrow.

"No, I just happened to have it on me." He took a deep breath. "You're going to need to slightly lift your tunic." Walter said simply. "I pray you're wearing an undergarment of some sort."

Lucina felt her cheeks heat up. "O… of course I'm wearing… the answer is yes."

Even though Walter looked as stoic as ever, he was actually panicking on the inside. _  
_ _ _I've never preformed this procedure on a woman before. There were no female soldiers under the employ of Hellsing, and I never allowed anyone to get anywhere near harming Integra__ _._ As awkward as this was for the butler, he knew he had to proceed. "Lift your tunic, Lucina. If this goes untreated, It'll get infected."

Lucina sighed as she hesitantly lifted her tunic up. Thankfully, for both Walter and Lucina, she was wearing a bra of some sort.

 _ _So the concept of the bra also exist in this world as well.__ The aged butler cleaned the area around the wound. _  
_ _ _I'm beginning to wonder how many things my world and this world have in common. Accents seem to be consistent, though Virion's French accent still confuses me. How can you have a French accent without France?__

Walter spent a few more seconds cleaning the arrow wound. When he was done, he inspected the wound even closer.

"You need to be careful, young lady. If the arrow had dug itself any deeper, it would've hit one of your kidneys. You're lucky that you're not worse for wear." He took hold of Lucina's hand and placed it on the handkerchief. "Hold this for a moment..."

Lucina nodded as she watched Walter rummage through his waistcoat pockets. Eventually he pulled out his signature black fingerless gloves. After fiddling with them, he slipped them on and summoned a single strand of monofilament wire.

"I'm going to try to close up the wound. It may hurt, since I don't have any anesthetic." Walter untied his tie and folded it up. He handed it to Lucina. "If it does indeed hurt, bite down on this."

The young woman nodded as she took the tie from his hand. "Why are you doing this? I hope you don't mind me asking?"

Walter paused his fiddling. He really didn't know why he was doing this. He supposed it was the fact that Lucina reminded the butler of Integra in a way. The butler smiled sadly. "I guess you kind of remind me of someone. Someone I was incredibly close to."

Lucina, satisfied with his answer, bit down on the tie.

"I recommend you brace yourself, because this is going to hurt." He twiddled his index finger, causing the single wire to slowly stitch the wound up. Walter saw Lucina close her eyes tightly as she bit down on his tie. His wire continued to stitch the wound up until it was finally closed. He cut the monofilament wire from his glove, causing it to become nothing more that a simple wire. He then quickly finished up the process. "There! Good as new."

Lucina stopped biting down on the tie and attempted to stand up. Her attempt ended with her collapsing.

Walter supported her weight as he sat her back down. "It's still going to hurt for awhile. You're going to need to stay seated for now, Lucina." He took his tie back and tied it back around his neck. "We may be here for awhile, so get comfy."

The future warrior nodded as Walter sat down next to her. "Are you standing guard over me?"

"Yes." Walter replied quickly. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Lucina nodded. "We only met a few days ago, yet you treat me so very kindly. You treat me in a manner that would imply that we've known each other for a long time. I just find it odd that you would do so much for someone you had only just met recently."

"Is it a crime to protect those you consider allies, Lucina?" The Angel of Death raised an eyebrow.

"Do you consider me an ally?" She asked. "We only fought alongside each other once."

Walter nodded. "That still counts, technically." He reached into his waistcoat to pull out a book on tactics.

"A butler who's also interested in tactics. That's something you don't see everyday." Lucina commented on Walter's odd interest. "You're quite the enigma, Walter. You have the appearance of an old man, yet you move faster than my eyes can keep up. You act so polite, yet you become a sadist in battle. You call yourself a butler, yet you fight like a warrior."

"That's what I was raised to be…" The Angel of Death lifted his head out of his book. "I was trained to become the perfect super soldier. I was described by my superiors as a natural prodigy. I could perform task that would take an entire platoon to accomplish. I could decimate an army without so much as breaking a sweat. I accomplished things that no human could ever hope to achieve." Walter closed his eyes as he reminisced his golden years.

"What happened?" Lucina raised an eyebrow.

Walter sighed. "What happens to everyone, Lucina, old age." He chuckled to himself. "Despite all of my objections of being old, I am an old man. I've been past my prime for years now."

"I can hardly imagine you being anymore powerful." Lucina shuddered at the thought of how powerful Walter was in his prime.

"You think I was powerful?" The Angel of Death scoffed. "There were beings in my world that could defeat me without so much as breaking a sweat." Before the de-aging process pushed his powers to new heights, he wouldn't have dominated in his fight against Alucard. If he was just de-aged, and not turned into a vampire, the most he would do is hold his own. Granted, he would've held out against Alucard's Level 1 release state much better than the Nail infused Anderson, but he would've still lost in the end.

"Imagine beings that were on the boarder of immortality, Lucina." He continued. "Imagine beings that could be cut to pieces, only to regenerate seconds later. Imagine these insane creatures that would cut men and women to pieces without so much as a hint of regret."

The future warrior sighed in sadness. "I've had my fair share of immortal, all-powerful, beings."

"Immortal?" Walter let out a half-hearted chuckle. "You think that an immortal actually exist?"

Lucina nodded in response.

"That's nothing but a bunch of bullshit." Walter saw the look of surprise on Lucina's face. "There's no such thing as an immortal, Lucina. There are beings that are hard to kill, but not immortals." The butler paused. "That's what a friend of mine once told me. He was also an alleged immortal, but he didn't believe that he was. He always went on about how "true immortals don't exist" or how "only a man could defeat a monster" and so on and so forth. Here he was, an immortal, stating that immortality did not exist. You can just imagine the confusion I felt when he first uttered those words to me."

"How did you feel?" Lucina asked in interest. "The idea that a being that is immortal, yet denies immortality existing is baffling. I would think that he would accept the blessing of immortality."

Walter nodded at her response. "Yes, that's what I thought at first. Why flounder around denying immortality, when you yourself are immortal? The answer was simple..." He took a deep breath. "Life."

"Life?" the bluenette raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Life is something that all people are blessed with." Walter explained. "We live in unison with each other and we eventually die together. Yet there are these "immortals" that live in unison with mortals and watch them die while they continue to live. These beings will continue to watch their loved ones die for all eternity. They will watch the world around them decay into nothing. They could just blink, and the world would be drastically different to them. Do you understand why my friend believed there was no such thing as an immortal, despite being one himself?" Walter paused once more. "It was him yearning for his death."

Lucina remained silent for a moment. "Do you believe in immortality, Walter?"

The butler shook his head. "No, I do not." Recalling Alucard's defeat at the hands of Millennium. "Eventually, my friend was defeated, though I am unsure to whether or not he shall remain that way. He had a habit of coming back to life after long periods of time. I honestly hope that he was granted his wish."

 _Snap!_

Walter's head snapped in the direction of the noise. He frowned as he slowly stood up.

Lucina was about to speak when the aged butler placed his hand on her mouth.

"You said that you were attacked by bandits." Walter eyed his surroundings. "I think they followed you."

The future warrior attempted to stand once more, only to fall down like before.

"Sit down, Lucina. Your injury is still healing up." The Angel of Death put his hands behind his back. "I said I would protect you until you were good to go. Don't think I'm going to go back on my word at the first sign of conflict, young lady."

There was nothing but silence as the tension rose. At the center of the clearing, Walter stood with no sign of fear in his eyes. The butler looked ready to react to just about anything.

 _Whoosh!_

Several arrows flew at the incapacitated Lucina. They didn't hit their mark thanks to Walter's incredible reflexes.

Another barrage of arrows flew at Lucina, once again being intercepted by Walter's wires.

"Okay then..." Walter crossed his arms in annoyance. He stood in front of Lucina, telling his hidden opponents that he wasn't going to let anything harm the bluenette. "None of you will come anywhere close to harming this young woman. If you have a problem with that, you'll answer to me."

As if on cue, several throwing axes flew at the pair. Without so much as moving a muscle, The Angel of Death deflected the axes using his wires.

"Looks like the blue haired bitch got herself a bodyguard, boys..."

At least a dozen bandits stepped out of the bushes. They were all heavily armed, and heavily armored. One of them wore full plated armor, much like Frederick's only thicker.

The man heavy armor stepped forward. "Look here, Jeeves..." A confident smirk was plastered on his face. "We have business with that bitch your protecting. She interrupted one of our "peace keeping" crusades in a nearby town."

"Peace keeping crusade?" Walter could see that these men were not exactly the type to be trusted with "keeping the peace". "What do they mean, Lucina?"

Lucina glared daggers at the leader of the group. "They were terrorizing the poor townsfolk in a nearby village. I couldn't just stand by and let them go unpunished."

The leader of the bandits scowled at Lucina. "You killed several of our men, so we're here to deliver some righteous punishment." His attention returned to Walter. "Why don't you just step aside, geezer. We just want to teach the young gal a lesson."

Walter smirked as he raised his right hand. "I don't know what you mean by "righteous punishment", nor do I wish to find out. To me, it sounds like you wish to do something to my dear Lucina, against her will so..." Several wires sprang from his gloves, pushing the bandits back several feet. "...consider your request denied."

They bandits quickly recovered from the attack and charged Walter infury.

The Angel of Death scooped Lucina up, bridal style, and he proceeded to leap into the trees. "Try to keep up!" Walter taunted as he began to leap from tree to tree.

"Follow them!" The leader shouted as he mounted his horse. His underlings followed their leader's lead as they pursued the aged butler.

Walter continued to navigate the treetops, looking back every now and then to check if he lost his pursuers. "These blokes are very persistent." He let out sigh of annoyance.

Lucina held Walter tightly as she was carried through the branches like a damsel of some sort. "They're gaining on us!"

The butler quickly eyed the bandits to see that Lucina was right. He snapped his fingers to summon his monofilament wires.  
 _This kind of reminds me of that scene from that one sci-fi movie I saw with Arthur in 1983._ He sighed as he recalled his former master. _That was only a year before I learned that he contracted an incurable disease. It was also the year that Integra's mother died of cancer. Arthur and Integra were devastated, and I can't say I wasn't affected by milady's passing._

"Look out!"

Lucina snapped Walter out of his thoughts in time for the butler to quickly dodge an incoming barrage of arrows.

"Sorry." He apologized quickly. "I was just thinking about something."

The bluenette rolled her eyes. "Less thinking, more running!"

Walter nodded as he dodged another barrage of arrows. The bandits seemed to have an unlimited supply of arrows. "I'd love to see how good they are at dodging..." After getting a good lead on the bandits, Walter stopped in his tracks.

"What're you doing? Why did we stop?" Lucina watched as Walter swiped the air with his free hand, looking like a conductor conducting a symphony.

The butler began to whistle to himself. "Setting a trap, Lucina..." Once he was satisfied with his work, Walter picked Lucina back up. "Which way to the town you saved, Lucina?"

"It should be about a mile to the north." The blue haired warrior responded and pointed in the general direction. "What kind of trap did you place anyway, Walter."

A cruel smile formed on the butlers face. One that only an Angel of Death would be capable of. "Let's just say that I expect that they will learn a thing or two about bloodshed within the next few minutes. A lesson that they won't soon forget..."

She didn't know what Walter meant by "a lesson in bloodshed", but Lucina knew better than to question it. While she shuddered to imagine the horrors of what her pursuers were planning to do with her, somehow the grin that Walter wore on his face was even more bone chilling then even that. All the warrior could do was hope that Walter was really on the side of good.

A minute later, the bandits rode full speed through the area that Walter and Lucina just were.

"Keep riding, boys!" The leader bellowed. "The old man can't be that far off from-" He was interrupted by the sound of one of his men screaming in agony, followed by a dreadful silence. His head turned toward of the scream to see the sickening sight of a dismembered corpse.

Suddenly a flurry of luminescent blue wires seemed dance in front of the bandits. It didn't take long for the bandits to be engulfed, and dismembered by the storm of wires. The leader let out a terrified shriek as he vainly attempted to escape the wires. His hand darted for what looked like an opening in the storm, but a second later his hand was sliced clean off. The foolish bandit let out one final shriek as he was dismembered.

* * *

 **South Regna Ferox ~ That town that Lucina saved...  
July 19 (8:12 A.M.)**

It didn't take that long for the duo to get to the town which, for some unexplained reason, didn't have a name. It had something to do with the founder of the town not having the patience to come up with one. It didn't really matter to Walter, as he only dropped by the town to ensure that Lucina got the rest she needed.

"Are you sure you're fine to go?" Walter asked as he escorted Lucina to the edge of town. He had spent an hour watching over the young woman as she was treated by the town healers. "You can never be too sure, ma'am."

Lucina smiled at her protector. "Of course I'm okay, Walter. I don't know how to repay you for the kindness you've shown me."

"Think nothing of it." The butler bowed in politeness. "You don't need to repay me at all. Just knowing that I helped you out is good enough for an old butler like me."

"Is that so, Angel of Death?" The future warrior said in a humorous fashion. "I'm honored that an "Angel of Death" would protect me without so much as asking for anything in return." She punched him in the shoulder.

"Maybe I should reap your soul as payment." Walter let a hearty laugh. "In seriousness, know that if you ever find yourself in trouble, I'll be there to protect you. I give you my word that I'll be there for you in your times of need."

Lucina gave him a thumbs up in response. "That's quite a bold statement. Are you sure you'll be up to the task? You said that if I ever needed your help in anything, you'll come to my rescue."

The aged butler nodded. "Anything."

The blue haired warrior nodded as she reapplied her mask. "Thank you, Walter." She then proceeded to sprint away, to her next destination.

Once Lucina was over the horizon, Walter began to make his way back towards the Shepherds' camp. _She's quite the interesting warrior. Lucina is certainly somebody I wouldn't want to mess with._ He laughed. _Much like you, Sir Integra, she is a strong woman. One that, I have no doubt, will become a strong leader that will inspire all of her friends._ Walter smiled as he looked at the sky. _I wonder what you think of me, my dear Integra. Do you still think of me as that foolish man that faced Alucard in the final hours of the Battle of London, or as the loyal butler that served you faithfully. I'll never know. All I can hope for is your safety._

"Be safe for this foolish old man." He said sadly. "That's all I ask of you, Integra..."

* * *

 _ **Writers Notes**_

 _ **Walter's relationship with Lucina is strictly platonic. Don't get any ideas! I mean who's going to ship... um... why would I ship... *cough*. Who Walter gets paired up with is strictly my business and mine alone! It's not like I'm going to pair him with anyone anyway! (Awkwardly coughs again)**_

 _ **Anyway, I plan to try to get the next chapter up soon. I won't give an exact date, otherwise I'm going to get mauled by bears if I'm so much as a day late.**_

 _ **That's all I have to say for now.**_

 _ **Leave a review! Click that favorite button! Find that follow button!**_

 _ **See you next chapter!**_


	5. Guardianship

_**DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

 _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**_

ITALICS=THOUGHTS AND SOUNDS

 **BOLD= IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT**

 _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**_

 _ **(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**_

 **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**

* * *

Chapter 5: Guardianship

 **South Regna Ferox ~ Shepherds' Camp  
July 19 (9:00 .M.)**

"Where the hell is Walter?!" Chrom shouted at the top of his lungs.

It was utter chaos throughout the camp. It started when Lissa had decided to play a "harmless" prank on the ever so clumsy Sumia. Well, that "harmless" prank escalated beyond harmless within the span of a few seconds, with Sumia slipping and toppling over a barrel. That barrel than tipped over, spilling its contents; swords, spears, and axes. The barrel than catapulted into the air, bashing an unsuspecting Vaike in the skull. Vaike then fell right on top of Stahl, who then began to trip over the barrel of doom. The barrel, continuing it's rampage, rolled over and knocked Virion into Sully's *cough* assets. Taking offense to this, as all women would, Sully delivered a hard right hook to the noble romantic. Virion flew straight into Miriel. The redheaded mage then accidentally fired off her fire tome, with the fire ball launching Fredeck back. The stoic lancer then fell back and tripped over the weapons that were strewn all over the floor. This, as Murphy's Law was being followed (Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong), caused a huge axe to go flying into the air, and right into Chrom's tent. The blue haired prince, having just barely dodged the flying piece of death that now sat in his tent, rushed out to see the chaos that had ensued throughout the camp.

Note that this all happened within within a few seconds.

Chrom's first response was, "What the hell did you do, Lissa!?" Then after scanning the chaos, he noticed that one man was missing from the picture.

That leads us to the present, with Chrom shouting, "Where the hell is Walter?!"

As if on cue, the aged butler wandered into camp. Walter was also mortified by the mess that had occurred in his absence.

 _I leave to go help Lucina out and all hell breaks loose_. The butler sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He then made his way towards Chrom, carefully avoiding the cluttered mess. "Here I was thinking that I could leave you all alone for a couple of hours while I practiced my swordplay. I have no doubt that this couldn't get any worse..."

Murphy's Law was once again followed, as Lissa stepped out of her hiding place only to trip over the clutter of weapons. This launched another axe into the sky which, if Walter hadn't had intercepted it with his wires, would've hit a dazed Sumia.

"You spoke too soon, Walter." Chrom rubbed his forehead. "Can you gather everyone up?"

The aged butler nodded as he began to drag his fellow Shepherds into the strategy tent, which seemed to be the only tent that wasn't affected by the calamity that had occurred all throughout the camp.

Once everyone was accounted for, Chrom took his place at the center. Walter decided to stand beside the man he now considered his new master.

"My first question is, whose responsible for that mess outside?" Chrom asked in calm tone that only a true leader was capable of.

Lissa hesitantly raised her hand. "I was playing a prank on Sumia and It just escalated, I guess..."

The blue haired prince sighed. "Why is it that I find myself unsurprised? That little "prank" caused that mess outside. You're lucky that no one got hurt, Lissa." Chrom then pulled out a map of the land. "Ignoring the little calamity that ensued just moments earlier, we are currently a few miles from the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox. We currently lie on the southern part of Regna Ferox."

"Why is the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox inside Feroxi territory?" Sumia, clearly still slightly dazed, asked.

"It's mostly due to political reasons." Chrom explained. "If I went into details, we'd be here for awhile. Anyway..." The prince pointed at what seemed to be a wall that ran across the map. "There's a wall that runs directly across our borders. The Feroxi have different customs than us, so be prepared for a fight if things go south."

"That means you, Vaike. Make sure you keep track of your axe!" Walter poked the axe wielders pride. "If we're actually facing men and women trained to be warriors, then I doubt they'll be as exploitable as the Risen. Make sure you stick together."

Frederick stood up. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." The aged butler reached under the table that the map was placed down and pulled out a small chest. He opened it to reveal a tome that looked untouched, and several wooden figurines that were identical to their real life counterparts. "I spent all night evaluating some of your skills. I also took the liberty of carving wooden figurines in all of your likeness'."

"But you knocked out last night, Walter." Chrom examined his own figurine in interest. "You were exhausted. How did you have the time to even do this?"

Walter smirked. "I found myself waking up at around one in the morning. When I couldn't get back to sleep, I decided to make myself useful. When I have the spare time, you'll find me to be quite the workaholic. I spent my entire night on studying all of your track records." He opened the tome to reveal several pages dedicated to each one of the Shepherds. Each page bore detailed observations that Walter had made on his peers.

"Wow!" Vaike stared at his page on the rooster. "Ol' Teach has to hand it to you. You really did a good job here."

"Most likely to trip over nothing?" Sumia sighed as she read her entry in the roster. "Well, at least it's accurate. I do tend to trip a lot."

Lissa fumed at her entry in the roster. "MOST LIKELY TO SNORT!? I DO NOT SNORT!"

"Actually, milady..." Frederick stepped in. "You do indeed snort. This happens most when you are in a humorous mood."

"DON'T DEFEND WALTER, FREDERICK!" The blonde healer was resisting the urge to strangle both Walter, and Frederick, to death. "HONESTLY! THAT IS NO WAY TO DESCRIBE A WOMAN!"

"If we can get back on topic..." Chrom quickly restrained Lissa. "Ignoring the accuracy of the Roster, I will entrust this operation to Walter. He seems to be much more capable at tactics than I." He took a step back to give Walter some space to observe the map.

The butler studied the map for a few seconds. "Truth be told, I will not be able to create a proper strategy until I get a good look at the battlefield. Due to the nature of the operation, if things do indeed go south, our enemy would be most likely placed on top of the wall. With that in mind, I recommend we split into teams of two. Chrom will be paired with Sumia, as her role as a Pegasus Knight will make her extremely vulnerable to archers."

Chrom and Sumia nodded as Walter continued explaining the contingency plan.

"Sully, as much as you may hate me for this..." The butler took a precautionary step back, just out out of Sully's reach. "You will be working with Virion."

Sully was disturbingly quiet for a few seconds. "Fine by me, as long as you explain to me why I have to pair up with Ruffles."

Virion smiled in a smug manner. "Does my dear Sully not realize that he will be working with "The Archest of Archers"? I put the "arch" in "archer", milady."

"Can it Ruffles!" Sully was about to kick Virion in a place that no man should ever be kicked, when Chrom stepped in between the two.

"Let Walter explain." The blue haired prince gave Walter the thumbs up to continue.

"Sully..." The butler contiued. "I'm placing you with Virion, because you are going to be the most capable one to back him up. Vaike certainly can't, because he'll be too focused on making himself look good in the battlefield, and Stahl hasn't worked with Virion before. You cannot deny the fact that the both of you make a good team."

Sully raised her hands in defeat. "Fine..."

Walter smiled as he moved on. "Frederick will be working with Lissa. As Lissa is the healer, she is not only the most vulnerable but also the most important member. If anything were to happen to her, this mission could turn ugly. That is why I'm placing Frederick, the most capable of all of us, to act as her bodyguard."

Lissa was, surprisingly, very cooperative. She didn't seem to have any objections with this set up. The same went for Frederick.

"Vaike and Stahl will be the muscle of this operation. They will be in the front lines with Chrom and Sumia."

"Teach likes this idea!" Vaike fist pumped. "Come on Stahl! Let's kick some ass!"

Stahl gave Vaike a cautious thumbs up.

"Miriel will serve as the back up." Walter turned his attention to the mage. "If any thing goes wrong, it will be her duty to come to our aid."

"An odd choice, but not one without merit." Mirel commented without so much as lifting her head out of her tome. "That leads to the question of what you will be doing, Walter."

The Angel of Death smirked. "I will be providing extra support for Chrom and Sumia. One can never be too careful when it comes to battle." Walter looked around the room to see if there were any objections. When he saw that there were none, he quickly cleared the table.

It was Chrom's time in the spotlight. "As there is no objections, lets pack up and begin marching north."

"Yes captain!"

* * *

 **South Regna Ferox ~ The Longfort  
July 19 (10:13 A.M.)**

When the camp was all packed up, the Shepherds began their long march north. Unfortunately, none of them accounted for the cold weather. In fact, snow was the last thing they were expecting.

"F-F-Frebberick! I'm f-f-freebing!" Lissa shivered as they trekked through the cold snow.

Frederick steered his horse beside Lissa. "Stand beside my horse, milady. She'll shelter you from the wind."

Walter took deep breaths as he slowly followed behind Chrom and Sumia. "I never thought I would see snow in the middle of Summer." He looked ahead to see a large fortress ahead. "So that's the fortress. Quite the spectacle."

"Yes, it is." Chrom wiped the snow from his eyes. "The Longfort is what many consider to be the boarder between Ylisse and Regna Ferox."

"M-M-My quessstion is..." Vaike was shivering worse than Lissa, as he wasn't wearing a shirt. "W-W-Why build a w-w-wall in the first p-p-place?"

"Political reasons." Sumia answered. "I heard that it was because the khans, the rulers of Regna Ferox, are very cautious when it comes to foreigners. I wouldn't say that they're hostile, just wary."

Frederick nodded in agreement. "A bit of diplomacy may make way for a powerful alliance."

Chrom let out a halfhearted sigh. "I'm not the best negotiator, that's Emmeryn's strong suit, but I'll at least try." He turned to face everyone. "Remember, we represent Ylisse. What we do will either lead to peace or war."

"Yes sir!"

As they made it closer to the wall, Walter noticed something. "This may get ugly; The Feroxi Guard are mobilizing."

"What?!" Chrom looked shocked. "Are you sure?"

"I see it as well, milord." Frederick added. "They look ready to strike all of us down at a moments notice. I recommend we be prepared for a fight."

Walter nodded. "Get into formation! Remember the plan!"

The Shepherds quickly found their partners and formed a three tiered wall. Chrom, Sumia, Vaike, and Stahl in the front. Virion, Sully, and Walter in the middle. Frederick and Lissa in the back, with Miriel ready to step into the battle to pull anyone out.

When they got to the entrance, they heard a strong woman's voice echo from atop the fort.

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

Chrom stood tall at the center. "In the name of the house of Ylisse, I seek audience with the khans!"

Unfortunately, his request fell on deaf ears. The woman, who was evidently the leader of the guards, seemed to ignore Chrom. "Not another step, my bold lad! I've lancers at the ready!"

Walter stepped in front of Chrom. "Did you not hear us!? We are not your enemy! We are on orders from her Exalt to discuss matters of mutual interest!"

"Do not take that tone with me, old man!" The woman seemed to hiss in Walters face. "I am Raimi, the guardian of the Feroxi boarders! I will not allow even a single brigand to cross this boarder!"

"B... Brigand?" Frederick said in a confused manner. "We are not brig..."

"Hold your tongue!" Raimi once again interrupted. "I've dealt with more alleged "Ylisseans" than you think. Don't take me lightly! If you do not turn now, I will order my men to strike you down where you stand, imposters!"

It was Sumia's turn to be angry. "How dare you! You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, captain of the Shepherds and part of the royal family!"

"Ha!" Raimi let out a cocky laugh. "And I'm the queen of Valm! The impersonation of royalty is not taken lightly, fools! Punishable only by death! Prove your worth, "Prince"!"

Walter sighed as he placed his hands behind his back. "I hate it when men and women are so blind to the truth. It's what leads to the loss of innocent lives. Lives that could've been saved had fools like yourself only listened." The butler smiled his signature Angel of Death smile. This deeply unsettled the Feroxi guards on the fort. His once kind face was now obscured by the shadows, with his monocle seemingly glowing an otherworldly silver. "If the impersonation of royalty is punishable by death, I'd hate to see what the punishment for threatening royalty is."

Raimi had enough the old man's threats. "Enough of this! Attack!"

At least twenty guards took their places on top of the fort. All of them pulled out javelins that were then flung straight at Walter and Chrom.

Acting quickly, Sumia quickly grabbed Chrom and flew him out of the way. Walter stood in place, seemingly looking like he was accepting his fate.

 _ _Snap!__

Several wires sprang out from his gloves, intercepting all of javelins before even coming anywhere close to hitting him.

"Thank goodness I acted as quickly as I did." Sumia exhaled as she landed her Pegasus next to Walter.

Chrom laughed as he gave her thumbs up. "We should be thankful that Walter paired us together." He patted Sumia's Pegasus. "Such a well trained Pegasus. You're obviously very good at training animals, Sumia."

"T... Thank you for the p...praise captain." The Pegasus knight blushed.

"If you two love birds are done..." Walter interrupted. "We ought to focus on the task at hand!"

Frederick mounted his horse. "Here they come!"

Archers poured out from both the western and eastern gates.

"Chrom, Sumia, and I will take the western gate!" Walter ordered. "The rest of you will head to the east to take the eastern gate!"

There were nods as they all went to their positions. As Chrom and Sumia made their way to the western gate, Chrom felt as though someone was watching him.

"Do you feel like we're being watched, Sumia?"

The Pegasus Knight nodded. "Yeah..."

"Sir? I'm right here!"

Chrom and Sumia's heads darted to the side to see a tall man in imposing looking armor.

"BWAHH!" The two of them fell off Sumia's Pegasus as they noticed the tall man. Upon closer inspection, they quickly realized who it was.

"Kellam, is that you?" Chrom asked cautiously. "When in Naga's name did you arrive?"

The knight sighed as he pulled out his lance. "I actually arrived around the same time as you guys. As a Shepherd, it's my duty to follow you to the ends of the Earth, even if you guys don't notice me."

"Sorry Kellam." Sumia gave him a warm smile. "We just didn't notice you. You're just so quiet all the time."

"I affectionately call myself the king of stealth, as I can be easy to overlook at times." Kellam said proudly. "Though I was trying to get your attention for awhile. I even shouted your guys' names a couple of times."

"You sound disappointed."

Kellam shook his head. "Just try to keep an eye out for me from now on, okay?"

The two nodded as they once again mounted Sumia's Pegasus.

Meanwhile, they Shepherds on the eastern side of the fort were completely decimating it's defenses. It seemed like Vaike was having the time of his life, stopping anyone that even tried to get past him.

Sully, as annoyed as she was with being paired with Virion, found him to be quite the reliable partner in combat. Despite his annoyingly flirtatious personality off the battlefield, his boast was well rooted. His skill with a bow was, much to her surprise, exceptional. _  
_ _ _Maybe working with Ruffles isn't so bad after all...__

Frederick did his best to protect Lissa, even taking arrows for the blonde healer. He was lucky that she was there to heal him.

After awhile, they came to a halt when they reached the eastern gate.

"So..." Sully stared at the door. "Anyone got a key?"

"Well..." Vaike slowly raised his hand.

"Good job, Vaike." Frederick pointed his thumb at the gate. "Go on and open the gate."

"That's the thing..." The blonde warrior said slowly. "I HAD the key. Then I kind of lost it in the snow..."

Stahl had this look of utter disappointment on his face as he realized what his partner had done. "Vaike, You said that you wouldn't lose the key when I handed it too you."

Virion let out a sigh as he beckoned for everyone one to follow him. "Let's head back. We may be able to find the key if we back track."

The six warriors then began to search the snow, looking for any sign for a key.

Back on the west side, Chrom, Sumia, Walter, and Kellam had already begun storming their side of the gate. Many of the enemies on their side cowered in fear at the sight of Walter's wires. While the butler made sure not to overexert himself, lest he wish to end up as fatigued as he was yesterday, he still made sure not to let anyone come anywhere close to Chrom and Sumia.

Kellam provided good back up as well, giving out warnings for when an enemy was approaching. It surprised the large man that someone was actually noticing him for once, as Walter was actually able to hear the often overlooked knight.

It took them awhile, but the Shepherds on the east side finally managed to find the key that Vaike had lost. They quickly swept their side of any Feroxi that were foolish enough to get in their way.

Chrom and Sumia were slowly getting closer and closer to Raimi when they ran into a huge man in thick armor. He wielded an immense hammer that looked like it could smash through even the toughest of armors.

"No way I'm gonna let you come anywhere close to the captain, brigand!" He shouted as he raised his hammer.

Chrom gripped the Falchion with both hands. "Sumia, stay back."

"But captain..!" She was stopped mid-sentence by Chrom.

"You'll be more vulnerable to his hammer than I. I don't wish any harm to befall you, or anyone, Sumia." He shot her a confident smirk.

The hammer wielding warrior brought the hammer down upon Chrom, only for the warrior prince to nimbly dodge the strike. Chrom went in to slash his opponents chest, but his sword swing was surprisingly deflected. He went in only to clash with the hammer wielder again.

"Something tells me you're going to be a tough one to defeat." The Ylissean prince grunted as he struggled to push the warrior back.

"You're much better than the average brigand." Chrom's opponent smirked. "But you'll fall by my hand nonetheless!" He pushed Chrom back and then quickly began swinging his hammer in an almost reckless fashion. Chrom had trouble dodging a few of the swings, but still managed all the same.

Walter had meanwhile finished the last of the soldiers on his side, when he noticed something distressing. Raimi was aiming a javelin at Chrom's back, and no one seemed to have taken any notice. _  
_ _ _No!__ The butler made a mad dash to warn Chrom of the eminent danger, but it was too late as Raimi had already thrown the javelin.

Chrom was surprised when someone pushed him out of the way. He was even more shocked when he saw a javelin fly straight into Walter's shoulder. "Walter!"

The aged butler smirked as he was then batted away by the impact of a huge hammer. Walter remained airborne until he impacted the cold, snow covered, ground.

"Shit..." The Angel of Death coughed as he struggled to get up. "The last time I was hit that hard was when I fought that werewolf in Warsaw..." The most he could manage was to turn himself over, to lie flat on his back.

Chrom, angered by how Raimi was willing to stoop to a sneak attack, quickly charged the hammer wielding warrior. With several swift slashes of his sword, he brought his opponent down easily. His attention then turned to Raimi.

"Let our battle sound out the truth of your words!" Raimi said with the utmost confidence that she would win. What she didn't expect was the swiftness of her defeat.

Chrom charged her, without so much as giving the Feroxi knight a chance to even pull out a weapon. Chrom then delivered three precise cuts, using a rapier. One to her arm, and two to both of her legs. This caused the overconfident knight to stumble. When she lifted her head, she was faced with the tip of Chrom's sword.

"Perhaps... you were telling the truth all along..." She raised her hands in defeat.

Chrom smirked as he sheathed his sword.

"Chrom! We need you over here!" Lissa shouted at the top of her lungs.

The Ylissean prince turned to see everyone gathering over Walter. "Walter!" He quickly ran over to his fallen comrade. Nothing hid his relief when he saw Walter wasn't dead. "Thank Naga you're alright."

"You actually think that something as trivial as a javelin to the shoulder would take me down?" The butler chuckled. "I've been hit by worse." He quickly clutched his hip in pain.

"Relax..." Lissa raised her staff over his hip. "You were hit pretty hard. I'm surprised that none of your bones were broken on impact. Someone your age would've been killed." Her staff glowed a mint green as the pain in Walter's hip subsided.

"Why did you take that hit for me anyway, Walter?" Chrom breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Walter stand up.

The butler raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you'd rather it be you on the floor, writhing in agony, slowly blacking out?" Walter frowned. "What I did was something that I've done on multiple occasions, Chrom. I've had only two masters before you, both of which I nearly died for."

There was silence as everyone processed this information. How many times has Walter brushed past death, and lived to tell about it?

"Don't put it past me to take a lethal hit for the people I care for, Chrom. Had you had been hit by those attacks, you would've likely died. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had a chance to keep you out of harms way, and I didn't take it. The moment you took me under your command, you not only gained access to a super soldier, but a butler that would die for you, an adviser whom you could confide anything, and a skilled tactician with years of experience."

Chrom nodded in understanding. "Very well, Walter. If you're going to serve under me, just promise me one thing."

"What would that be, sir?"

"Promise me that you'll always come out of these battles alive." The Ylissean prince said with a look of extreme seriousness.

Recalling a similar promise he made to Integra, Walter let out a halfhearted chuckle. "If that's what you wish, I'll also do what I can to make sure everyone makes it out of battle; alive and well."

Chrom nodded as he turned to face Raimi. The Feroxi knight should consider her men lucky that they were only left incapacitated, and not dead.

"A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom." The blonde knight bowed as she approached the Ylissean prince. "I truly took you for brigand impostors." Raimi sighed. "No frauds could ever wage a battle as you just have! I'll send word of your arrival to the capital and escort you there personally."

"That would be most appreciated, thank you." Chrom smiled as he beckoned for his fellow Shepherds to follow him and Raimi.

"Truly amazing." Walter commented. "Her whole demeanor changed."

Frederick nodded in agreement. "That is the way of the Feroxi people, Walter. In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words. We should've known not to overestimate their value of diplomacy..."

"Kinda sounds like someone like Vaike would fit in quite nicely here." Lissa snickered to herself. "Vaike is definitely more brawn than brain."

Sully shook her head. "Nah, the idiot would get torn to shreds. He would lose his weapon 24/7."

Vaike fumed as the two woman continued to poke fun of his inability to keep track of his belongings.

"Shall we get a move on?" Walter cut in, as they were falling behind.

"Yes, It's certainly not getting any warmer over here." Virion answered as he dragged a half frozen Stahl behind him.

* * *

 **East Regna Ferox ~ Eastern Capital  
July 19 (1:23 A.M.)**

It was awhile before they arrived at the palace. Chrom, Lissa, Walter, and Frederick were escorted to the main hall to discuss diplomacy, while the rest of the Shepherds got themselves situated in the inn.

"Please wait here while I summon the khan, Prince Chrom." Raimi stopped the four of them as she left through a door to the side.

"That's a bit odd." Walter crossed his arms. "Where else could the khan be?"

"Out training, probably." Chrom guessed. "You can already tell that they have a preference for fighting rather than politics. A better way of putting it is, battle IS their politics."

"Quite a dysfunctional way of ruling, I'd say." The butler placed his hand on his chin. "In my world, empires ruled through battle have tended to come to abrupt, rather destructive, ends. I hope that this khan can be convinced that battle is not the only form of politics in the world."

"Is that so?" A strong woman's voice echoed around the room.

Everyone turned to see a slender woman with golden hair and extremely tanned skin.

"Usually, men that support diplomacy in Regna Ferox are the first ones to die in combat." The woman spoke in a manner that gave her a strong presence. "Though, if what Raimi tells me is true, you are the old man that managed to not only survive a direct hit from her javelin, but a direct hit from a hammer strike that would've fell men very much younger than yourself."

The butler nodded. "Yes, that's me. I am Walter C. Dornez, butler and tactician to Prince Chrom." He bowed as he presented a walkway between Chrom and the khan. "Are we right to assume that you are the khan?"

"I am but one of the khans." She replied in a prideful manner. "I am the East-Khan, Flavia. Allow me to apologize for the troubles at the border, Prince Chrom. You are welcome in Regna Ferox." She stuck her hand out.

Chrom stepped forward and shook hands with the khan. "Thank you for the apology, though I am confident that we can put all that behind us now." When they stopped shaking hands, Chrom immediately let out a sigh. "Is it true that brigands have been posing as Ylisseans?"

"Yes." Flavia said sadly. "They have been ransacking our villages, those Plegian dogs! We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains. Plegia must be desperate to want to increase tension between our kingdoms. For them to pull such a bold move is unheard of."

"Damn them!" Chrom looked as if he was ready to slam his fist into the wall.

"That explains the bandits that I ran into earlier today..." Walter spoke up suddenly. He didn't feel the need to tell them that he ran into Lucina/Marth as well. "I defeated some Plegians in the forest earlier. They were terrorizing a village on the edge of your borders."

"All the more reason to increase the security on the borders." Flavia sighed. "I know why you've come to Ferox, Prince Chrom. Unfortunately, I will not be able to provide any aid for Ylisse."

Lissa finally spoke, in an outraged manner. "Why the hell not?!"

Flavia shrugged. "I lack the proper authority to do such a thing."

"Are you not the khan?" Frederick questioned. "Why do you not have the authority to give us aid?"

Walter scoffed as he realized what Flavia had said earlier. "She said that she was one of the khans, Frederick. That means that there's more than one, and it's likely that the other khan has more authority than Flavia."

"How observant of you." The East-Khan nodded. "Every few years, the east and west khans hold a tournament in which the victor gains total control over both kingdoms. The winner has the final say when it comes to the forging of alliances." Flavia frowned. "Unfortunately, The West-Khan won the last tournament, so..."

"We won't receive any aid?" Chrom hung his head low.

"Don't be so quick to give up, fool!" Flavia said quickly. "The next tournament is to be held in a months time, and I need champions."

"So you're saying..." Walter trailed off.

"Exactly." Flavia winked at the old butler. "Raimi has informed me that you Shepherds are quite capable. I ask you to fight in the tournament as my champions. If you win the tournament, I shall be more than happy to provide the aid your people need."

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "Would it not be against the rules for Ylisseans to participate in a Feroxi tradition?"

"It's the khans choice of who fights for them. If we did not include champions from other lands, Regna Ferox would be piled high with corpses. This is why the tournament is usually fought by outsiders. Although, I don't think the tournament has been fought using royalty as champions." Flavia laughed. "The choice is yours, Chrom."

"What choice is there?, East-Khan?" Chrom crossed his arms. "My people are in desperate need of aid. We not only have Plegia's constant attacks to worry about, but the Risen as well. If steel is the only route we have towards an alliance, then so be it. We will fight as your champions, Flavia."

"Oh, I do like you, Prince Chrom." Flavia laughed. "I do hope that you survive the tournament! I'll show you where the tournament shall be held."

 _ ** _With the tournament a month away, how will they fare against the West-Khan's champions? Will they be prepared for the unexpected champion on the opposing side? Find out, next time!_**_

* * *

 _ ** _Writers Notes_**_

 _ **Happy Halloween! I'm a bit embarrassed with this chapter. Truth be told, I've had this chapter finished since mid-September. I continued postpone posting this chapter, mostly due to the fact that I was unsatisfied with how the chapter came out. Sorry about that**_ **(_)**

 _ ** _Anyway, there's not much to say about this chapter. It was a pretty basic chapter that I really enjoyed writing._**_

 _ ** _Like the story? Follow or Favorite it!_**_

 _ ** _Have a question, or just want to leave a comment? Leave a review!_**_

 _ ** _See ya next chapter!_**_


	6. Walter's Roster: Volume 1

_**Consider this to be a bit of extra content added, for those of you who like this sort of thing. You can ignore this chapter if you want to but it's here if you want to look at it. This is also the first chapter not to feature a disclaimer of some sort. Isn't that odd?**_

* * *

 **Walter's Roster: Volume 1**

 _Hello, my name is Walter Dornez. I have recently joined a ragtag group of militia called the Shepherds. Despite being a Shepherd f_ _or only a grand total of 4 days, I have already learned much about my fellow Shepherds. I have decided to document my observations in a roster that shall be open to the entire militia. Please note, if you are not part of the Shepherds, or have not gained special permission from either Chrom or myself, I will not hesitate to kill you for peeking into this book. If you are a Shepherd, do not complain about the description I have for each of you. Deny it all you want, I am accurate._

 _~Walter Dornez, The Angel of Death  
July 19_

* * *

 _No.000...Walter Dornez, The Angel of Death._

 _A butler with a natural talent for battle. He wields a special  
_ _set of monofilament wires that emanate from his gloves.  
_ _When not on the battlefield, he often speaks in a calm, and  
_ _dignified, manner. He also acts as the butler to the Shepherds,  
_ _often cooking, and serving food and drinks, as well as cleaning  
_ _the barracks of the Shepherds. On the battlefield, however he is a  
_ _merciless force to be reckoned with. His usage of the wires,  
_ _along with his merciless nature, earned him the nickname "the  
_ _Angel of Death", a title which he happily accepts, and often  
_ _defends with much glee. Despite being well_ _liked by his comrades,  
_ _he feels guilty for his past actions. (This is the only entry not written  
_ _by Walter)_

 _The one most likely to come to the rescue._

 _Birthday: unknown_

 _Land of origin: England_

 _Age: 69_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: none_

* * *

 _No.001...Chrom, Ylisse's Exalted Prince._

 _The prince of Ylisse, and descendent of the Hero-King,  
_ _Marth. While noble of blood, he leads a militia known  
_ _as the Shepherds. On the battlefield he wields the  
_ _Legendary blade, Falchion, with much skill. He often  
_ _leads the Shepherds into battle with a demeanor fitting  
_ _of a king. Off the battlefield, he cracks the odd joke now  
_ _and then. Chrom holds a deep admiration for his sister,  
_ _Emmeryn, due to her kind and benevolent style of rule.  
_ _He cares immensely for his friends and family and will  
_ _stop at nothing to ensure that they are safe. He also seems  
_ _to have a soft spot for pies, as noted by both_ _Sumia and I.  
_ _His strong conviction makes him a fine leader,  
_ _and the perfect man to be the exalt._

 _Most likely to break things_

 _Birthday: May 27_ _th_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 20_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: none_

* * *

 _No.002...Lissa, The Noblest Healer._

 _Chrom's tomboyish little sister, and princess of  
_ _Ylisse. Despite her noble blood, she often acts  
_ _childish. Off the battlefield, she often plays  
_ _pranks on others(minus myself, as I seem  
_ _to either extremely frighten her, or she has too  
much respect for me. I personally think it's the  
_ _former)_ _On the battlefield, she acts as a healer, and  
_ _understands the responsibility she has to shoulder  
_ _to keep everyone alive. Her cheerful demeanor makes  
_ _her one of the most likable Shepherds in the group.  
_ _She had a huge crush on Frederick as a kid, and she  
_ _often deliberately disobeyed him to get his attention.  
_ _Though it is unlikely that she still carries this childish  
_ _crush, there is evidence pointing otherwise._

 _Most likely to snort._

 _Birthday: March 6_ _th_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 16_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: none_

* * *

 _No.003...Frederick, The Stalwart Knight_

 _Chrom's lieutenant. He acts as a bodyguard for both  
_ _Chrom and Lissa, despite the fact they have no need  
_ _for one. His sincerity is only matched by his skills with  
_ _a lance or sword. On the battlefield, he is a calm and  
_ _collected warrior without peer. He executes orders nearly  
_ _flawlessly and usually never question orders. Off the  
_ _battlefield, he acts basically the same way. Many of the  
_ _Shepherds have been known to have stated that Frederick's  
_ _training sessions are amongst the most brutal of training  
_ _sessions ever known. Those who have survived his regime  
_ _have commented that they did feel empowered...  
_ _after_ _several days of recovery._

 _The fondest of starting fires_

 _Birthday: August 26_ _th_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 25_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: none_

* * *

 _No.004_ _...Sully, The Women to End All Men_

 _With a sword arm built for battle, and a mouth that would  
_ _make brigands blush, Sully is one of the most capable  
_ _knights in the Shepherds. With her skills with the sword  
_ _and lance in mind, she is able to decimate her opponents  
_ _with a style, and grace, that many women can only dream  
_ _of. Though that comes with the cost that she is somewhat too  
_ _self-confident at times, bordering recklessness at times. This  
_ _often leads her to ignore her blind spots. Despite a confidence  
_ _that many men wish they could have, she suffers from insecurity,  
_ _due to her masculine personality._

 _The last one you want cooking_

 _Birthday: December 5_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 21_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: none_

* * *

 _No.005...Virion, The Archest of Archers_

 _A nobleman whose past is well hidden. His buffoonish,  
_ _and overall idiotic, actions lead many to see him as a  
_ _man with no skill what so ever. His skills, however, often  
_ _come out in battle in the form of an almost flawless  
_ _accuracy with a bow. These skills make him the finest  
_ _archer the Shepherds can provide. Virion, unfortunately,  
_ _is a hopeless romantic. He will propose to almost anything  
_ _that is female. This doesn't outshine the fact that he will  
_ _defend anyone he likes to his last breath._

 _The one who stares at the mirror the most_

 _Birthday: December 10_

 _Land of origin: Valm_

 _Age: 23_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: none_

* * *

 _No.006...Sumia, The Graceful Rider_

 _An absentminded, klutzy Shephard with no self-confidence  
_ _or self-worth whatsoever. With this in mind, she is eager to  
_ _get better. In battle, she fights alongside her trusted Pegasus,  
_ _often preforming graceful maneuvers with her Pegasus.  
_ _These maneuvers are often combined with her skill with a  
_ _lance. Both Frederick and I have noticed that she is a  
_ _hard worker. Also noted, is the fact that she has an incredible  
_ _amount of potential, and the things that she excels in, she  
_ _REALLY excels in. One example is her natural affinity with  
_ _working with animals._

 _Best at tripping over nothing._

 _Birthday: November 24_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 20_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: None_

* * *

 _No.007...Stahl, The Oddly Normal Cavalier_

 _An oddly normal Shepherd. Not much can be said about  
_ _this member of the rag tag group of Shepherds, as he seems  
_ _to be the most normal of the group. This sentiment follows  
_ _him into battle, though it surprisingly doesn't hinder him.  
_ _He seems to be just as an effective cavalier as Sully and  
_ _Frederick but beyond that, my observations end there.  
_ _Despite living in an age where war is waged on his country  
_ _endlessly, he has a surprisingly trusting personality. It's  
_ _unknown whether this should be classified as a strength  
_ _or a weakness. There is one thing that has been noted by  
_ _all the Shepherds as abnormal, his insane eating habits._

 _The most eager to clean a plate_

 _Birthday: June 16_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 22_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: None_

* * *

 _No.007...Miriel, The Perfectionist with no Peer_

 _A perfectionist and meticulous women with a pompous style  
_ _of speech. As a perfectionist, she will grow irritated at the  
_ _smallest flaw. In battle, she is skilled with magic to the  
_ _point that she is deadly accurate with her tomes. It can be  
_ _noted that she has the tendency to suddenly stop mid-battle  
_ _if so much as anything, whether it be lucky, divine or scientific,  
_ _piques her interest. Her everyday life is filled with research, in a  
_ _manner that can be considered obsessive. According to some  
_ _Shepherds, she is willing to stalk a person until she divulges the  
_ _secrets to some of their abilities (Examples include: Kellam's  
_ _affinity for stealth, Stahl's odd normality, and Frederick's  
_ _skill with a blade)_

 _The most superfluous packer_

 _Birthday: February 12_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 25_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: None_

* * *

 _No.008...Vaike, The Misplacer of many_

 _A rough-hewn Shepherd best known for his loud mouth  
_ _and habit of misplacing everything. While his ability is  
_ _something that I would consider exceptional, his  
_ _confidence boasts of being even better. His abilities with  
_ _an axe is not something to underestimate, as he has  
_ _managed to outmatch Chrom in some of their more  
_ _intense sparring matches. His loudmouth has often  
_ _pushed himself into danger as well. An odd quirk of  
_ _Vaike, as observed by ALL of the Shepherds, is his  
_ _tendency to refer to himself in the third person. According  
_ _to Lissa, his personal nickname, Ol' Teach, is the latest  
_ _in a long line of nicknames for himself._

 _The best at misplacing things_

 _Birthday: December 26_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Age: 20_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: None_

* * *

 _No.009...Kellam, No comment..._

 _A soft spoken, blank-faced Shepherd who has  
_ _a tendency to seemingly disappear, even when  
_ _you're alone the room with him. Not much can  
_ _be said about Kellam, as he is hardly ever spotted  
_ _by anyone. As such, details about him are incredibly  
_ _sparse. The same can be said about his skills in battle,  
_ _as he tends to fade into the crowd at times. It can be  
_ _noted that even I have a hard time tracking Kellam,  
_ _even though I have an innate ability for tracking. Despite  
_ _his protest to being unseen my everyone, he is proud of his  
_ _stealthy nature._

 _The tallest when sitting down_

 _Birthday: June 24_

 _Age:24_

 _Land of origin: Ylisse_

 _Parents: unknown_

 _Children: None_

* * *

 _The Pair up_ _System_

 _As for anymore observations that I've made, they mostly revolve around the system of battle that I shall refer to as "The Pair Up System". As the system is relatively new, I have only tested this strategy in a single battle, that battle being yesterday's conflict. Even so, I see that this system boasts some very fine results._

 _When working with a partner, people tended to hold more of an advantage in battle. For some reason or another, the presence of another person seems to give people access to increased endurance, power, and speed. People that are closer to each other have bolstered effects. Chrom and Sumia being one such example. I noticed that they worked in brilliant unison with each other, almost to the point that they attacked as one unit. Another example of a strong bond comes in the form of Virion and Sully. Try as she might to act as disdainful towards the nobleman; together they are a formidable team._

 _There are also certain pair-ups that don't work at all. I have no idea if this is a general lack of care for certain members of the militia, or if they are pairings that have decided to be mutual friends only and nothing more. one such example is Vaike and Virion. They do not seem to bolster each other's abilities as significantly as the others. The mysteries to why they cannot support each other as well as other teams that I can think of is beyond me._

 _For me, the pair-up system seems to yield very interesting results. For the entirety of today, I partnered with everyone within the Shepherds for a bit of a sparring match and found myself with some peculiar results. I am able to be paired with anyone, and the results all conclude that I benefit from the morale boost. I do not understand why this is, but I must keep these results in mind during the next battle._

 _That makes me wonder of one thing. What were to happen if I were to pair-up a married couple together in battle? The result is nothing more than a dream at the moment, as I am sure that it is unlikely that any of my allies will marry in the future. As for me, I doubt that an old man such as myself has even a chance at finding love among these young people._

 _That concludes my observations on this subject, thus far. If I find out anything else, I'll be sure to catalog it here._

 _~Walter Dornez  
July 20_

* * *

 _Odd Weaponry_

 _During my years as the Hellsing family butler, I learned the art of smiting. I used this skill to my fullest advantage, creating devastating weaponry for the organization. Due to the renaissance, semi- medieval, nature of the land of Ylisse, I do not know where to find the materials to create something that is common in my world, guns._

 _As such, I am forced to experiment with swords, axes, and lances instead. This where I hit an odd snag in my creating of weapons. It seemed to me that the more deadly I made a weapon, the easier it broke. Metals such as bronze_ _created oddly durable weapons, but a metal such as silver produces a more powerful blade at the cost of durability._

 _Bronze, unlike silver, is not an element, but an alloy made up of copper and tin. Something like bronze would be better for making armor, as it has higher resistance and a higher melting point._

 _Silver is an element. Silver should be the more durable of the two, as it does not corrode as easily, nor does it react to other elements, as it is a more un-reactive element._

 _That makes me wonder, "Can I somehow create a weapon that is both durable, and powerful?"._

 _The answer is, it's certainly possible._

 _Chrom's sword, Falchion, is a weapon that is both powerful, and nigh unbreakable. The weapon has been enhanced by the divine power of Ylisse's deity, the Divine Dragon, yet Alexander Anderson's blessed bayonets, and the blessed silver bullets of Alucard's Casull, are all only as durable as normal bayonets and bullets. What does Falchion have that other weapons don't?_

 _The answer alludes me, but I swear that I will find the answer soon enough._

 _~Walter Dornez  
July 21_

* * *

 ** _Writer's Notes_**

 ** _I wanted to write this for the sake of world building, and to add a bit of what Walter does when not in battle. While I won't release Roster Chapters all the time, they will still be added for those people who like this kind of thing._**


	7. Friendly Conversation

_**And on Christmas Eve, I come out of hiding after more then a year of silence!**_

 _ **This chapter covers the support conversations that Walter has with everyone in the Shepherds(as of this point in the story). They've all been altered in some way, to make them more in tune with Walter, and some have been outright changed completely. Anyway, I'll explain my long bout of inactivity at the bottom of the chapter, as well as the reason this chapter is written the way it is.**_

 _ **ON WITH THE STORY!**_

* * *

 _ **DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

 _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**_

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 **BOLD=IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT**

 _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**_

 _ **(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**_

 _ **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**_

* * *

Chapter 6: Friendly Conversation

 **Ylisstol, Ylisse ~ Royal Palace**  
 **July 25 ~ 3 weeks until the tournament**

 _ **Walter's P.O.V**_

It's been several weeks since I joined the Shepherds, and I doubt I've worked as hard as I have in years. Serving Chrom has been a great pleasure and being able to be out in the field of action once again has been exhilarating, but sometimes I really feel my age. There have been days where my body has completely collapsed from exhaustion, much to the great concern of the rest of the Shepherds; although Vaike has teased me about my age every so often.

I cannot allow myself a break, as much as I need one, as the tournament in Regna Ferox is in just 3 weeks. The fate of Ylisse rests on the shoulders of the Shepherds, so failure is not an option. We need to win at all cost. I don't participate in the training sessions that my allies often old, as I'm preparing myself through different means.

I have carefully analyzed the sealing sigil located on the back of my hand and I was by no means happy with the conclusion I came to.

All evidence pointed to the fact that the sigil was suppressing the vampiric abilities that I had gained from Millennium's experiment. I'm nowhere near eager to become a vampire again so I'm in no rush to find out how to awaken and unlock the strength. One would think that I would completely ignore the seal. Unfortunately, that seems to be out of the question, as further analysis reveals that seal is also eating away at my energy.

The seal relies on my physical energy and willpower to remain intact. The more I exerted myself physically, the more energy the seal takes to keep itself intact. I could release the seal, but that would require that I become an artificial vampire once more.

My pride will never allow myself to stoop so low once again, and there would be no reason to do so. The power, as intoxicating as it is, is unneeded. Yes, I would become arguably the most powerful being in this world, but what would the point be? I'd have power, but I'd have to cope with living until the end of the world; hell maybe even the end of time.

I would much rather my much younger comrades bury my body; not the other way around.

Speaking of comrades, there's no denying the fact that I've begun to grow attached to these young people. These past few weeks have made it hard not to…

* * *

 _ **Chrom**_

"Sir, may I speak to you?"

Chrom felt a sense of dread, for some reason, as Walter hardly ever requested to speak to him. Usually the aged butler would go about his business, often only asking if there was anything that he could do for him. Walter seemed to like to keep to himself, only speaking up during strategic conferences and the like.

"Should I be nervous?" Chrom laughed slightly, hiding his anxiousness.

Walter raised an eyebrow at the obviousness of Chrom's anxiety. "Nothing to be nervous about, sir. If it's okay, I wish to ask you something."

Chrom shrugged. "I don't see why not: ask away."

"I want you to be honest sir; why did you ask me to join the Shepherds?" Walter crossed his arms. "Beyond the skills I showcased during our first meeting, I wasn't exactly trustworthy. You found me in the middle of a field and, without so much as giving a second thought, asked me to join your militia. If anything, you should have made sure that I was trustworthy first."

"Are you saying that you aren't trustworthy?" Chrom's brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you saying that I should regret my decision to recruit you, because I don't."

"Did you even stop to consider that I was an assassin sent to…"

Chrom stopped Walter from continuing. "Of course I considered the idea that you were an assassin sent to kill me. Frederick even vocalized his suspicion that you were a liar." The Ylissean prince continued. "I didn't listen to Frederick because I didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet."

Walter sighed as he shook his head in disapproval. "I understand that you wish to aid those who LOOK like they need aid, but I ask that you exercise caution. There are those that would see your charity as a chance to bury a knife in your back. Chivalry and longevity don't often go hand-in-hand, sir."

"I will exercise more caution, but that won't not stop me from helping those in need." Chrom gave Walter a half smile. "After all, helping those in need is exactly what the Shepherds were formed to do."

The Angel of Death nodded, though he wasn't fully satisfied with Chrom's reply. "I understand." He let out a sigh. "If that is your decision, then I shall respect it. So long as you do try to be more careful, I shall be at peace with your decision."

"I will, Walter." Chrom replied. "Thank you for voicing your concern."

Walter bowed, as a sign respect, and stepped beside Chrom. "Now that that is out of the way, how about a cup of tea? I hear that we've just received a fresh shipment from overseas."

Chrom chuckled. "I guess I could go for a cup. I've never been one for tea, but I guess I should give it a try."

* * *

 _ **Lissa**_

"Walter!? You in there?!" Lissa gently knocked on the door to Walter's room. She carefully opened the door and was surprised by what she saw. Walter was sleeping at his desk, arms crossed and a small book on his lap. She noticed a pile of white cleaning gloves on top of the desk, most of which had spools of some kind of metal wire sticking out.

 _Considering how much work you do, I'm not surprised that you've conked out for the day_. Lissa waved her hand in front of Walter's face to check if he was really asleep. When she confirmed that the old butler was asleep, a devious grin that would've made Alucard proud formed on her face.

"You really are wiped out, Walts." Lissa whispered, holding back the barrel of laughter that threatened to burst. "Looks like it's time to quietly… gently… Hold your nose…" Lissa's fingers were barely brushing the aged butler's nose.

"Put your hand down, Lissa." Walter suddenly spoke up, causing Lissa's heart to nearly leap out of her chest.

"What in Naga's name, Walter!?" Lissa clutched her heart in shock. "You were awake the entire time!?"

Walter slowly got to his feet. "No, it was your whispering that woke me up…" He let out an uncharacteristic yawn as he stretched both his arms. "Though I don't blame you for your immature behavior; your parents weren't exactly around to raise you."

"Yeah..." Lissa looked down as she was reminded by the fact she never knew her parents.

The aged butler smiled as he ruffled her hair. "Well even then, you ended up becoming a fine young lady, at least from what I've observed."

Lissa let out a girlish laugh as she twiddled her thumbs. "I guess you might be right, but I may have done something REALLY unlady like to that new book on the occult you bought a few days ago."

"Oh, dear…" Walter's eyes widened in fear. "Please tell me you didn't draw any of the sigils in the book." Walter breathed a sigh of relief as Lissa shook her head.

"Nah, all I did was doodle in it and accidentally spill a bunch of ink on it." She put on the most innocent smile she could muster. "I kind of ruined the entire book when I tried fix it. Sorry, I didn't mean to."

Walter let out a chuckle. "No need to worry, accidents happen. I already finished studying the book front to back anyway, so no harm done." He slipped on one of his many pairs of white cleaning gloves. "Why don't you get ready for dinner? I hear that the cooks are preparing some kind of..."

"Um, can I ask you a favor?" The Ylissean princess interrupted the butler, though her voice was barely above a whisper. "Can you cook me that bear stew that you cooked that night Chrom and I met you?"

The aged butler was taken aback. "You want bear stew?" He spoke slowly, thinking that Lissa was not in the right mind at the moment.

"Yes..." Lissa nodded in response.

"That's not exactly a dish fit for royalty."

"Pleasssssssse." Lissa gave Walter the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do. I doubt the cooks are going to be enthused by my presence." Walter sighed.  
 _Or the smell of old boots for that matter…_

Lissa clapped her hands in excitement as she followed Walter down the hallway.

* * *

 _ **Frederick**_

"You do realize that your stance is cutting you effectiveness by half, Frederick."

"What?" Frederick's eyes widened as his head turned to see the source of the criticism. Walter sat at the side of the sparring dojo, calmly sipping tea as he watched Frederick.

"Your stance isn't exactly the most, how do I put it, effective." Walter took another sip of tea. "It makes you nothing more than a brick wall, for lack of a better term."

Frederick raised an eyebrow. He wasn't aware that his stance was flawed, as he had been using the same stance since he was a simple knight in Ylisse's Army. "What flaw does my stance have?"

Walter took one final sip of his tea and then placed the empty teacup on a nearby end table. "Your stance, while effective when holding your ground, does not allow for proper maneuverability. In fact, Chrom has the opposite problem; his stance, while it allows for great maneuverability, is lacking when the need to stand ground comes up."

"I wasn't aware that you had such great knowledge on swordplay, Walter. During our encounter with the Risen on the Northroad, you displayed that you had some experience with swordplay; Nowhere near enough to be able to criticize a swordsman with my level of skill."

The aged butler took a rapier from one of the many weapon racks in the room. "True, I'm no master when it comes to actually battling with swords, but I'm well informed on the technique and form required. I did learn a thing or two from someone who had more than a lifetimes worth of experience with the sword." Memories of Alucard using a claymore to do battle on certain occasions flashed through Walter's head. Alucard barely used a sword in battle, but when required to do so he would showcase his five centuries of sword experience.

"So how is my stance flawed, Walter?" Frederick held his sword out. "Do enlighten me, wise butler."

Walter chuckled as he flourished his rapier. "Sarcasm is unbecoming of you." Walter suddenly closed the distance between himself and Frederick, greatly surprising the Stalwart Knight. Frederick held his ground and attempted to slash at Walter, only to miss terribly.

"Your limited mobility makes it easy for faster opponents to blitz you." Walter sidestepped a vertical slash. "I'm fast but currently I'm moving nowhere near my full speed." He dodged another slash. "It also makes you somewhat stiff as a result, making it easy to throw you off balance." Walter suddenly dropped to the floor and swept Frederick's legs.

Frederick grunted as he fell on his back. He looked up to see the tip of Walter's rapier pointed at his face. "I see that you do know what you're doing."

Walter nodded and proceeded to sheath the rapier. "Note that I didn't even need to use a sword to beat you. I merely took advantage of your somewhat bad stance work." He held grabbed Frederick's forearm and pulled his fellow Shepherd to his feet.

"How can I make improvements?" Frederick recovered his sword, which he dropped upon hitting the ground.

"Well, I recommend that you loosen up a little. Loosen your legs up until you find a comfortable position, but make sure that you can quickly transition into a deep stance." Walter hung the rapier back onto the weapon rack. "Find a middle ground and you'll find that you'll have a easier time in battle."

Frederick nodded as he watched Walter walk out of the room.

* * *

 _ **Sully**_

Walter let out a grunt as he painstakingly carried a crate full of weapons into the Shepherds Garrison. With the possibility of a war against Plegia increasing, Walter made sure to stock up on as many weapons as the Shepherds budget would allow. Of course, he could always make the weapons himself, but he had no time to do so; he was focused on creating a much less exhausting pair of monofilament gloves.

Walter wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he placed the crate down.

"Aww, crap…"

Walter's brow furrowed as he recognized that only one person in the Shepherd's would audibly curse. He got to his feet and followed the voice to its source. He wasn't surprised to see that Sully was the one that was cursing, though he was surprised to see Sully staring at her figure in a mirror.

"Come on, Sully, get your damn act together…" Sully looked clearly frustrated for some reason.

Walter, curious as to why, spoke up. "Sully, why are you so frustrated? Is everything alright?"

Sully swiftly turned around, putting on the most fake look of confidence Walter had ever seen. "I'm fine! It's nothing! Leave me alone!"

Walter raised an eyebrow at Sully's obvious anxiousness. "It's not good to lie to your elders, Sully. Now tell me what's wrong so I can help you fix it."

"No, I…" Sully slumped in defeat. "Alright, I put on weight and my muscle mass is down. You believe that?" The red-head cavalier shrugged. "We're on the brink of war, and I'm getting a gut!"

The butler crossed his arms. "Are you sure about that? You don't exactly look like you've put on weight, Sully."

"Are you kidding? I'm telling you I've put on weight!" Sully glared at the aged butler.

Walter raised his hands defensively. "Calm down, Sully. I doubt that a pound of fat is going to do much to you." He chuckled slightly. "I'm surprised that you're the kind of person that actually cares about her figure."

"For Naga's sake! This isn't about LOOKS! My muscle mass has dropped, damn it! If that affects my combat skill, I could get killed!" Sully was practically spitting out fire.

"Fine, if you're so worried about your muscle mass, which I honestly think is fine, you can try to diet." Walter pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to Sully. "I want you to write down your current diet, and from there we'll work on creating a much healthier meal plan. Quite frankly, I think you're absolutely fine without it."

Sully took the parchment and immediately began jotting foods down. "It's lazy attitudes like yours that get people killed, Walter. It's no wonder you've started to visibly gain weight…"

"What?" Walter's monocle almost fell off his face as his face displayed his surprise. "I can assure you that I have not gained any unnecessary weight."

Sully only chuckled as she continued to write her current diet down on the parchment.

* * *

 ** _Virion_**

Walter stared at Virion in dumbfounded confusion. Not for the first time, Virion had Walter completely shocked. This time however, the shock didn't come from the nobleman's accuracy with a bow or his need to flirt with every woman he meets.

No, Walter's shock came from the fact that Virion was actually staying out of the personal space of every female within the area.

 _Something must really be bothering him_. Walter placed a hand on his chin as he watched Virion, who usually walked around with an air of confidence around him, walk into the Garrison's mess hall halfheartedly. Walter followed him in and saw the nobleman twiddle his thumbs as he stared up at the ceiling, while sitting at one of the many tables in the hall.

"Something on your mind, sir?" Walter took a seat across from Virion. "You're not exactly acting the way you usually do."

Virion suddenly seemed to jump back into his normal mannerisms, as he suddenly picked his head up and smiled his usual smug grin. "Whatever do you mean, Walter? I am the same as always, Virion the noblest archer you are sure to meet!"

"Lying is unbecoming of the "noblest archer", Virion." Walter easily saw past the façade. "So why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Virion slumped in defeat, returning to the depressive state he was showcasing earlier. "I see nothing gets past you, butler." The nobleman lowered his head on to the table. "I may be the greatest of warriors, the lion living amongst the tigers, but I still feel great sadness for what I have lost."

Walter stared at the nobleman. "What did you lose?"

"I am not one to divulge such information to others, as many secrets are secret for a reason, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you." Virion lifted his head from the table. "I appear to have lost my ability to woo women."

The Angel of Death nearly slammed his head onto the table out of sheer stupidity. "Are you telling me that you're in a depressive state because you haven't been on a date recently?"

Virion nodded. "It is as if the charm of a dashing rogue is no longer effective in the wooing of women. Before, many would be infatuated with my swan-like grace and lion-like ferocity. Alas, it seems that it is no longer enough."

Walter shook his head, placing a hand on his forehead in annoyance. "That's because it was never enough, Virion. There is a large difference between earning a woman's infatuation and earning a woman's love."

"There is?" Virion lifted an eyebrow. "I was unaware of this fact."

Walter nodded. "Yes, because an infatuation is nothing but hormones telling you that your heavily attracted to another person. Love is something more than that, and something that I don't understand fully. Don't get me wrong, an infatuation can very well evolve into love, but it takes time and maturity for that to happen."

Virion suddenly bolted from his seat, his vigor seemingly returning. "Ah, what you are saying is that I must first gain a woman's infatuation before I gain their love. To gain their infatuation, I must make myself look all the more pleasing to the eye; though what is more elegant than a swan, I do not know."

"Virion, that's not what I meant!" Before Walter could stop him, Virion already exited the room. Walter let out a sigh and decided to let Virion fail on his own. "Oh well, he's not my problem anymore."

* * *

 _ **Sumia**_

Apparently Sumia was spotted carting a large pile of books around, and Walter was curious as to why. It wasn't that he didn't like reading, he was just curious as to why. He smiled when he saw Sumia calmly reading to herself, enjoying one of the many books she had in her cart. "That's quite the number of books you have there, Sumia."

Sumia's head darted to Walter. She carefully placed the book she was down, being sure not to lose her page number, and smiled. "Oh, hello Walter! Yes, this IS a lot of books, isn't it?" Sumia grinned like a child. "Someone threw them out of a wagon, so I figured I'd give them a good home."

Walter nodded in approval. "Very good, Sumia. Reading is a good form of relaxation, especially with a cup of tea on the side." The english butler always enjoyed literature in all forms, though he had an affinity for novels on the occult for obvious reasons.

Sumia nodded in agreement. "Oh, you can borrow some if you want. I certainly can't read them all at once."

The butler smirked. "Well, I could use a bit more literature in my life. When you get to my age, you need to find something to pass the time. Let's have a look…" Walter scanned the large stack of books. Many of the books seemed to be tales of fantastical fiction, with a few romance novels thrown in. Not exactly his style, but it couldn't hurt to try. After all, you can't judge a book by its cover.

"Just take your time." Sumia stood somewhat bow-legged.

Walter eventually chose a book titled "Wyvern Wars". "I always have enjoyed a good novel, and I doubt that I won't enjoy this one. I am curious, as I've read plenty of books from where I'm from, but this will be the first piece of Ylissean literature that I dabble into."

The Pegasus rider's eyes lit up. "Well, I'm glad that I've given you your first Ylissean novel. Most people don't share my enthusiasm when it comes to reading novels and the like." Sumia scratched the back of her head. "Sometimes I'm even teased because I read "children's tales"."

Walter gave her sympathetic smile. "Don't take their words to heart, Sumia. Novels are for all ages, no matter what anyone tells you. In fact, sometimes it's age that allows you to understand a story better."

The Pegasus rider smiled. "Thanks for the encouragement, Walter. When your done with the book, tell me what you think about it."

The butler nodded. "I will, but if you want to find out what happens in the book you'll have to read it yourself."

Sumia laughed as she and Walter left the stables.

* * *

 _ **Stahl**_

Perhaps it was an off day, but Walter was tired for no reason. He already acknowledged that he wasn't as spry as he used to be, but off days were not typical of him. The butler was used to working all day every day, sometimes with less than a few hours of sleep, and he hardly ever took a vacation when he was the Hellsing butler.

Of course, his stamina wasn't being fed into the seal for his vampire form back then.

Walter took a seat to catch his breath, dropping the mop he was using to clean the garrison's floors.

"Need some help there, Walter?"

Walter looked up to see Stahl with the mop in his hand. "No, I'm just taking a breather. I'll be up in a second or two." Just as Walter prepared to get to his feet, Stahl stopped him.

"I don't think so, old man." Stahl dipped the mop in a nearby bucket of water. "I think you should leave the cleaning to me for today. You look like you need a break."

Walter frowned. "I'll have you know that I'm feeling just fine, and that I am more than fit to do something as simple as mopping the floor." He swiped the mop right out of the cavalier's hand. "Besides, I doubt that you would last a single day preforming my duties."

Stahl smirked as he watched the aged butler mop the floor. "Well if I had to babysit everyone, including Chrom, I doubt I would last that long."

"Watching over you all is hardly the most difficult thing in the world. Honestly, you lot are hardly anywhere close to as troublesome as Alucard was." Walter didn't even lift his head up, as he was far too fixated on making sure the floors were spotless.

"Who?" Stahl took a seat on a nearby stool.

"Alucard was…" The butler paused for a moment. "…an old friend, and quite definitely one of the most troublesome people to have ever lived. To him, the entire world was nothing short of a playground, and those around him his playthings. He existed only to do battle, aching to find those who could match him."

"Were you one of those people?"

Walter halted. "Was I one of those people?" He stopped to think for a second. "Perhaps I was one of those people, at least when I was much younger." A small, barely noticeable, smile formed on his wrinkled face. "I was such a belligerent, short tempered, foul-mouthed, no good, sadistic, bastard when I was around your age. Quite honestly, the only things that carried over from my younger self was my name and my ability to use wires; everything else about my personality has long since been tempered."

Stahl let out a burst of laughter. "You, foul mouthed? Sorry Walter, but I honestly can't believe you."

The butler shrugged. "I agree, it's unbelievable, but I assure you that I was cursing up entire storms when I was young. I cursed so much that I could probably make Sully blush from the amount colorful language I used on a daily basis."

Stahl wiped a tear that had formed from the amount of laughter he had just let out. "Jeez Walter, from what you're telling me, you were a bit of a rebellious punk. So how does a foul mouthed young man turn into a polite butler like you?"

"Well..." Walter joking stroked his chin, feeling like indulging in some harmless humor. "Perhaps it was the amount of times I was beaten over the head by the rest of the cleaning staff, or maybe it was the life-scarring images that are seared into my brain of my former master and his "young lady friends"; said images would make the most perverse man embrace celibacy."

"So it just took a lot of discipline?"

"That's basically it." Walter placed the mop he was using in the bucket. "It seems that our little conversation has given me a bout of energy."

The mud haired cavalier shot Walter a grin. "Hey, you looked like you needed some social interaction." Stahl gestured towards the mop that Walter just stuffed in a bucket. "So you gonna get to work on another part of the garrison?"

Walter hummed as he thought silently to himself. The butler responded by putting the mop to the side. "Perhaps you were right, I do need a break."

* * *

 _ **Miriel**_

Walter held his hands steady as he carefully pushed several metallic wires into the fabric of his cleaning gloves. While it seemed like he was shoving a needless amount of wire into the gloves, the wires were going to become infused with the fabric once he performed the required alchemy to combine the two.

The wires themselves were created using occult magic. The magic allowed the user to create wires that he could pour his own will and stamina into. The more stamina a person had, the sharper wires would get. As a result, Walter had to be careful, otherwise he could end up cutting himself to bits.

Walter jumped when he heard a small explosion go off. He nearly messed up as a result, but he thankfully managed to keep the wires from tearing the gloves apart.

Walter didn't even have to think twice to know who caused the explosion. "Oh dear, Miriel's at it again."

He carefully put the wires down and left his room to check up on the academic. Walter made his way to where Miriel usually conducted her experiments, a room that she had converted into a laboratory. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw that Miriel was completely fine, though the room was another story. Various sorts of potions littered the floor and there were a few scorch marks.

"How discomposing." Miriel spoke in her usual monotone voice.

Walter quickly composed himself and entered. "What a terrible spill. I pray that you've come out unscathed, Miriel."

The scientific Mage turned around to face the butler. "A minor contusion. Benign." She referred to the small bruise on her hand.

"How fortunate." Walter bowed slightly. "I heard the explosion from all the way down the hall. From the looks of things, everything went flying." That's when Walter's eyes caught sight of a lone tome on the floor. "It appears that you dropped your tome. Allow me to retrieve it for you." The butler was about to reach down and grab it when it was suddenly swiped away by Miriel.

"You are not to touch the tome, sir!" Miriel raised her voice suddenly, clutching the tome tightly.

"Forgive me." Walter spoke as politely as possible, hiding the surprise he felt from witnessing Miriel anger slightly. "I just thought that I could politely return it to you. I did not realize the tome was so important."

"Important? Hmm..." Miriel seemed to be pondering what he had just said.

"Miriel?"

She carefully placed the tome within the confines of her satchel. "I suppose it does bear some import, yes. It's a lodestar, of sorts. One that points the way to the truth."

"Is that so?" Walter raised an eyebrow. His curiosity was piqued. In his time in Ylisse, he figured out that many of the scientific concepts that were standard in his world were yet to be discovered in Ylisse. "Who wrote it?" Walter inquired. "Did the writer happen to be famous?"

Miriel shook her head. "Not famous at all, no. The author was my mother."

"Ah, that explains the obvious age of the tome." The butler continued. "So, was she a mage or a scientist?"

"What is the impetus for your inquiry?" Miriel narrowed her eyes questioningly.

"Is curiosity a sin in Ylisse?" Walter raised his eyebrow, slightly offended by her distrust. "I only wish to quell my curiosity, Miriel."

"An automatic reaction to conversational stimulus. I see…" The scientific mate muttered under her breath.

Walter's unamused gaze met her narrowed eyes. The two continued to bore into each other's skulls for a while until Miriel finally broke the silence. "What is the meaning of your visit?"

"I was just worried that you had gotten hurt in the explosion." Walter answered simply.

"Curious…" Miriel began to jot down notes. "Concern for those one would classify as a "stranger" warrants further investigation. To what causes this "concern", I wonder."

Walter shrugged as he left the room, leaving Miriel to her research. "Sometimes I can't tell if she really is human…"

* * *

 _ **Vaike**_

Walter hummed to himself as he carted several towels into the garrison's shower room, more accurately the women's showers. Sumia informed him that there was a lack of clean towels in the shower room. Walter quickly noticed an unwelcome presence peeping into the showers. "Vaike, why are you in the women's shower room?"

Vaike did a quick one eighty and faced the aged butler. "Eh? Me? Up to? Nothin'!" Vaike let out a nervous laugh. "Yes sir, a whole lot of nothin'. Oh, lookie there!" He pointed at a nearby flower pot. "Pretty flowers! I sure do love me a pretty flower, don't you? Yep, I just love 'em! …Say what's your favorite flower, Walter?"

Walter raised an eyebrow. "At least try to act natural."

"Act natural? I don't need to "act" natural." Vaike let out another nervous laugh. "I'm just admirin' all them pretty flowers!"

"You lecherous dog, you're trying to see who's bathing right now."

"What do you mean? I had NO idea that this was a bath house!" Vaike was practically sweating buckets.

"Stop playing dumb, Vaike." Walter was tempted to drag the axe wielder out by the ear. "Stop your peeping and get out."

"Aw, c'mon!" Vaike threw both of his hands into the air. "You were once a warm-blooded young man! You know how it is! Haven't you ever…"

Walter stopped Vaike right there. "No, I did not." Walter thanked God that he did not pick up Arthur Hellsings' perverse tendencies.

Vaike grumbled as Walter dragged him out of the shower room. "You were a right little goodie two-shoes, weren't ya? Interruptin' my fun just when…" Vaike froze in place.

"Why is Sully's horse out of the stables?" Walter raised an eyebrow. "Now that I look at it, it seems to be glaring…" Walter quickly realized what it was about to do. "It looks like you're going to have to face some punishment for your sin, Vaike."

"Walter!?" Vaike panicked as the horse charged at him. He then realized that Walter had simply walked away. "WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?"

* * *

 _ **Kellam**_

Walter stroked his chin as he stared at the ordeal in bewilderment. The butler had watched as Lissa, Vaike, Sumia and Virion erupted in panic the moment Kellam bought some drinks to the table the four of them were sitting at. He couldn't tell what was more ridiculous; the fact that they couldn't see the ridiculously tall knight, or the fact that they claimed that it was a ghost that had bought the drinks to their table.

As soon as the Shepherds cleared out of the room, in fear of the "ghost", Walter took one of the drinks that Kellam had brought out. "I don't know what's more ridiculous; the fact that they believe that you're a ghost, or the fact that they don't notice you, Kellam."

Kellam did a double take, not believing what he was hearing. "You actually notice me?"

Walter nodded. "Of course I notice you, how could I not? You're one of the tallest of the entire militia, Kellam. It's a wonder how people don't notice you."

"I guess I just have one of those faces people don't notice…" Kellam let out a sigh.

The aged butler let out a laugh. "I doubt that it's your face, Kellam. Faces aren't the reason people aren't noticed, though they can cause you to be mistaken for other people." Walter placed a hand on his chin. "So why are you so hard to notice Kellam? Is there anyone that acknowledges your existence?"

Kellam smiled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of letters. "My eldest brother still acknowledges me. He sends me letters whenever we're called to battle. He recently told me that his wife was pregnant, so I'm happy to hear that."

Walter smiled, glad that there was at least someone else noticed the man. "I'm glad to hear that. I take it that you're close to your brother and his family?

"Very close, I usually visit him at least once a month." The knight looked happy to be able to talk about his brother. "Even when people started to ignore me, he always was there to cheer me up. He made sure that his wife was able to notice me, and has always made me feel welcome whenever I visit."

"So it seems that only those who are close to you are able to notice you. That raises the question, how am I able to notice you? I have, after all, barely known you for more than a month." Walter mused. "Perhaps you have some odd spell cast on you that prevents those who aren't close to you from seeing you, and it just so happens that it's not strong enough to conceal you from my heightened senses."

Kellam shook his head. "No, I already got checked for magical interference, and I'm pretty sure I would've noticed if someone cast a spell on me."

Walter shrugged, stumped on what was causing Kellam to be so unnoticeable. "Whatever it may be, I'll help you overcome it."

Kellam laughed as he took a breath of relief, hopeful that Walter would be able to help him in some way.

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _Has it really been that long since I updated? Jeez, it feels like every chapter I post, I apologize for the wait, but I especially have to do that now. It has been over a year since the last update for this story, and you guys deserve an explanation._**

 ** _My life kind of fell apart a few months after the last chapter I posted, and I kind of caved in as a result. I just couldn't sit down and write, so I just gave up on this story. Life was pretty hectic for me this last year: I had to transfer schools twice, I moved away from the place I'd been living for more then four fifths of my life, I couldn't seem to figure out what to do with my life, I lost all confidence in my own ability to do everything. All these just piled up into one big blob of stress and depression that impeded my ability to sit down and work on this story._**

 ** _I'm happy to say that everything has calmed down, and that I have finally gotten off my lazy butt and written a new chapter. The reason the chapter is structured the way it is is so I could kind of inch my way back into writing, while also familiarizing myself with the characters in the story so far. It was a blast writing these supports, and it's great to be writing again in general._**

 ** _Next chapter is the tournament in Regna Ferox, and it's coming up real soon._**

 ** _Merry Christmas, or whatever other holiday you celebrate!_**


	8. Two Falchions? The Identity of Marth!

**_Jeez... that was quick..._**

* * *

 _ **DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

 _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**_

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 **BOLD=IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT.**

 _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**_ **  
** _ **  
(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**_

 _ **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**_

* * *

Chapter 7: Two Falchions? The Identity of Marth!  
 **  
West Regna Ferox ~ Arena Ferox  
August 18 (8:15 A.M.)**

It was here, the tournament that would decide the fate of Ylisse had finally arrived. In 45 minutes, at exactly 9:00 A.M., the tournament that would decide whether the alliance between Ylisse and Regna Ferox would come into play.

Walter carefully waggled his fingers to check the current state of his wires. The new gloves he had made to use his wires were astronomically less straining then his fingerless pair, though at the cost of cutting strength. Still, Walter was grateful he could now fight without having to worry about his stamina depleting. He was confident that the battle was going to be won and the alliance would become official.

"Are you ready, Walter?" Chrom stepped beside the aged butler. The prince of Ylisse, despite his calm face, felt nervous about the tournament. The weight of the hopes of Ylisse's people rested squarely on the Shepherds, so Chrom was naturally tense.

"These young people we face shall learn a proper lesson in violence." Walter flashed Chrom a smirk as he called the wires back into his gloves fingertips. "How about you, sir? You're looking quite tense."

Chrom took a deep breath as he stared out into the arena the tournament would fought in. His hand was clutching the hilt of the Falchion, ready to unsheathe the blade to cut down all opposition. "We've trained far too much to let a few mercenaries stop us. I've no doubt that we'll win."

The butler only nodded in response. _I truly hope that we aren't overestimating our chances._

Twenty minutes later, the Shepherds gathered to talk strategy; Chrom standing beside Walter as he proposed his strategy. "Directly at the beginning we shall pair up: Chrom will pair with Vaike, Miriel will pair with Stahl, and I shall pair with Kellam. Kellam and I shall move forward first, acting as the vanguard for the attack. While the enemy forces are focused on the two of us, Miriel and Stahl shall provide support to Chrom and Vaike as they splinter off from the vanguard towards the northern side of the coliseum."

"Doesn't that mean that you and Kellam will be separated from the rest of the group?" Stahl tilted his head in confusion. "Wouldn't it be more effective to move forward as one unit?"

"An astute observation Stahl; Kellam and I will be separated from the others, but it's better that way." Walter nudged his head towards the arena. "The last thing we want happening in this battle is our forces getting boxed in, which is quite easy to let happen in a flat arena like this. Separating ourselves shall draw the enemy into a trap; while they're busy with the vanguard, the remaining forces shall keep their distance and focus their attack on the forces that didn't take the bait. Once Kellam and I have gotten the attention of several enemies, and the others have finished their targets, we shall lure them into a pincer formation and finish them off." Walter tucked his hands behind his back as he finished. "Any questions?"

When no hands were raised, Chrom clapped his hands together to get the group's attention. "Alright, those of you not participating in this battle shall sit and wait here. Those who have been called to battle, make whatever preparations you need to make and meet back here five minutes before nine o'clock, understand?"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

 **West Regna Ferox ~ Arena Ferox  
August 18 (9:00 A.M.)**

Walter slipped on his white monofilament gloves and flicked his wrist to call forth a few strands of wire. He was confident his strategy would lead to success, but he couldn't help but notice that something felt off. If the strategy failed, the butler would resort to the fingerless pair of monofilament gloves, which were sitting in his pockets for the time being, and cut down the opposition; stamina exhaustion be damned.

As the enemy forces began to gather, he took note of the weapons they carried. _Two mages, each wielding a thunder tome; four fighters, two using iron axes and the other two using hand axes; and two knights, both equipped with iron lances, and I think I see some vulnaries on one of them. Overall, the only enemies resistant to my wires would be the knights, thanks to their heavy armor. I'm sure that Chrom and Vaike will be able to take those two down once we lure them into the pincer formation, as I instructed the two to arm themselves with a rapier and hammer. All-in-all, we should be fine._

"Walter! Chrom! Look!" Lissa's voice snapped Walter out of his thoughts. The aged butler looked towards Lissa to see her pointing at something on the western side of the arena. His head snapped in the direction she had pointed. Walter's eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of what had shocked Lissa so much.  
 _Lucina…_ The butler stared at the masked woman, who was once again posing as a man.

"Hey, who's that guy supposed to be?" Vaike scratched the back of his head. "He a friend of yours or somethin', Walter?"

Walter shook his head in response, "No, sh… I mean he saved Lissa a few weeks ago when we first encountered the Risen." Walter had to stop himself from calling Lucina a woman, since the masked woman wanted to remain incognito for the time being. "What Marth's doing here is beyond me."

Chrom stepped towards Marth, as eager for answers as Walter was. "So, you're my opponent."

Marth nodded silently.

"Chrom!" Get back here!" Walter shouted for the blue haired prince to return to their side. "We can't pull off the strategy without you!"

Chrom was about to retreat back to his allies when the sound of a s word unsheathing caught his attention. The blue haired prince unsheathed his sword just in time to deflect a slash to his head. His attacker, Marth, slid back several feet, landing in a stance that Chrom found eerily familiar.

"You will face me one-on-one, Chrom." Marth held his sword above his head, poised to to strike once more.

"I was hoping we could settle this without clashing blades, but it seems that we'll have to settle this with our skills with a sword." Chrom clicked his teeth, as he flourished his blade overhead before holding it out. His eyes widened in shock as Marth mirrored him, the sword in his hands coming into the light."

"Wait…" Chrom's eyes were drawn to the sword in Marth's hands.

Walter gasped in surprise. _That sword… It's the Falchion._ The butler eyed both blue haired lords, soaking in the details of their stances. _Lucina is mirroring Chrom; every detail of her stance is the same as Chrom's._

"Where did you get that?"Chrom asked, referring to exact copy of the one of a kind blade that he had in his hands. "There's no way…" Without so much as a warning, Chrom leapt at Marth, flipping through the air several times before slashing downward. The blow was blocked by Marth, who pushed Chrom back a few inches. The two lords moved at exactly the same time, their blades blurring and clashing against each other several times.

Walter, who was engrossed in the battle, remembered that Marth wasn't the only combatant they would have to face. His eyes scanned the arena, relieved that the Shepherds weren't the only ones completely taken in by the two mirror fighters. "Kellam!" Walter shouted to get the armor clad knight's attention. "With me; the rest of you, stick to the plan." He quickly took command of his allies.

"But what about Chrom?" Stahl questioned.

The Angel of Death shook his head in response. "Chrom is preoccupied at the moment, and his battle with Marth has left the rest of the West-Khan's forces vulnerable. As it is now, we must take advantage of their momentary inactivity and attack now." He turned to Vaike, "Vaike, you're job has gotten twice as difficult, as you won't have Chrom to back you up, but I have faith that you'll be able to defeat any threat that comes your way."

Vaike grinned as he raised his hammer above his head. "You can count on Ol' Teach, boss man!"

"Stahl and Miriel..." Walter turned to the duo, "The two of you know what to do, correct?"

Miriel nodded, "We are to eliminate the opposing forces that do not foolishly charge at you; a simple task."

"Correct." Walter flicked his wrist and summoned a multitude of monofilament wires. He turned to Kellam, who looked glad that he had such an important role in this battle. "Ready?"

The stone-faced knight nodded in response.

Walter silently looked forward, watching the fight between Chrom and Lucina for just a few more seconds. _This is it._

"Go!"

Kellam and Walter dashed forward, although Walter slowed himself down to allow Kellam to keep up with him. This caught the attention of the fighter and mage to the left of them. The fighter dashed at Kellam, axe above his head. Kellam raised a javelin above his head and chucked it at the fighter, successfully stopping the fighter from advancing, but not putting it down.

The mage went after Walter, who sidestepped the ball of lightning that was sent his way. The aged butler ran towards the mage, fooling the magic user into thinking he was going to run into him. Another ball of lightning was sent towards Walter, though this time it seemed to phase right through the butler. Shock was plastered on the mage's face as he frantically attempted to locate his lost target.

"Haven't you ever seen an afterimage?" The mage turned around to see Walter with his signature Angel of Death grin plastered on his face. The mage tossed another ball of lightning at the old butler, only for it phase through him, the image dissipating a few seconds later.

"I guess not, seeing as you just fell for the technique twice in a row." The grin on Walter's face widened. The butler eyed Kellam, who was dueling with the fighter from earlier. The lance wielding knight flipped the lance twice before swinging the butt of the lance into the fighter's face. Walter noticed the glint of something metallic in the corner of his eye. One of the other enemies had noticed Kellam and was preparing to throw an axe into the knight's back. An idea popped into the butler's head as he sidestepped out of the way of another thunder spell.

Right as the hand axe was thrown into the air, an invisible force had thrown the weapon off course. As soon as the axe flew into the sunlight, the glint of metallic wires glowing electric blue could be seen wrapped around the handle. Walter swiped his hand through the air, commanding his wires to send the axe into the mage he was fighting. The mage had no time to react to the airborne weapon; it's wedge embedding itself into his chest.

"That takes care of that." Walter chuckled to himself. "Now to go help Kellam out." The butler jumped back to the knight's side, deflecting another hand axe with his wires.

Meanwhile, the duel between Chrom and Marth had intensified. When the fight had first started, Chrom was confident in his victory, but with every parried slash, he grew more unsure.  
 _Damn!_ Chrom twirled as his momentum was redirected to the side as a result of another parried slash. _It's like he knows every move I'm about to make before I even make it! How am I supposed to beat him!?_ Chrom grunted as he parried a stab aimed for his chest.

While it looked like Marth was effortlessly fighting on par with Chrom, he was actually having trouble keeping up. Despite knowing both the ins and outs of Chrom's fighting style, that didn't mean that Chrom was any less skilled then him. The ylissean style of combat that emphasized maneuverability and aggression in battle, the form that Prince Chrom was specialized in. Power strikes that gain strength with every blow, as a result of the kinetic energy building up. Maneuverability that allowed for great feats of acrobatics, the user often leaping into the air to perform heavy strikes. A defense that called for the user to parry and counter when openings were found. The form was hard to overcome, as Marth had noted. Neither he nor Chrom had made any headway in their fight, the attacks and counters that they threw at each other being parried constantly.

 _At this rate, we're likely to tire out before we land a single hit on each other._ Chrom deflected a horizontal jumping slash before launching a counter attack. Like the rest of his counters, this one was parried as well. "Tell me," Chrom clashed with Marth, their blades locked with one another. "Who taught you how to fight like that?" He pushed Marth backwards, he himself taking a step back for some distance. The two flourished their blades in the exact same style and went in for a stab. Sparks formed as the two Falchions grinded past each other.

"My father!" Marth leapt into the air to deliver the exact same spiralling overhead strike that Chrom had used earlier. The blue haired prince narrowly dodged the overhead strike, that probably had enough power behind it to break his arms had he decided to block it.

Chrom clicked his teeth as he rolled the Falchion in his hand. "Your father must've been good, seeing as I can't seem to get through your defense."

Marth seemed to stiffen at the mention of his father. "You have no idea…"

Meanwhile on the northern side of the arena, Miriel fired off her fire tome at an unsuspecting fighter. The axe wielding fighter was flung back by the force of the blow, but managed to stay on their feet. Miriel's eyes narrowed at the sight of the fighter dashing at her once more. "Persistent miscreant…" The burgundy haired mage fired off a volley of thunder, but was shocked when her opponent managed to dodge each. "Inconceivable…" Miriel flinched when a blur of motion deflected the axe strike meant for her.

"We're supposed to be acting as a team, Miriel." Stahl grunted as he was pressured to hold off the axe.

Miriel's brow furrowed, "Forgive me, but I saw an opening so I thought that it would an opportune moment to take it."

The cavalier gave one last shove as he pushed the fighter backwards several feet. "Yeah, but it's best if we attack together. Walter paired us up so we could cover each other's backs."

"Aptly put!" Miriel smirked as she fired a ball of fire at the dazed fighter that Stahl had pushed back. The fire launched the fighter back, and this time he didn't get back up. "Teaming up ameliorates our chances of success. Walter was wise to "pair us up", as you put it."

"I have no idea what you meant by "ameliorates", but I think it's good." Stahl laughed sheepishly. "Come on, Vaike's gonna get himself killed if we don't back him up."

Contrary to what Stahl had assumed was going to happen, Vaike was having the time of his life flying solo. The axe wielder, hammer wielder for this battle, was weaving between a volley of thunder magic and hand axes, laughing as he did.

"Ol' Teach is going to teach you why you don't mess with the Shepherds!" Vaike grinned as he actually stopped in the path of one of the orbs of thunder heading his way. To the shock of anyone watching, friend and foe alike, the blonde haired fighter held his hammer over the shoulder and swung it around like a bat, batting the thunder into the enemy tossing axes at him. "And that's a bulls-eye!" Vaike raised his hammer towards the sky triumphantly. "Anyone else want some, cause Ol' Teach is batting a thousand!"

The mage, not liking the fact that such a loud-mouthed idiot had used his own attack against him, retaliated in fury. He fired off so much thunder from his tome that it stopped working.

Vaike stopped his celebrating, actually looking quite serious for once, and ran toward his opponent. "You want some?!" The blonde weaved through whatever lightning orbs he could and deflected those he couldn't. Before the poor sap had any chance to react to the situation, Vaike swung the hammer into the man's side. A sickening crack echoed through the arena, making the squeamish onlookers gag.

"Looks like that's that!" Vaike twirled the hammer in his hand cockily. "Who needs a partner; I work best by myself."

Walter took a moment to eye the Shepherds in the northern section of the arena. When he saw Stahl flash him a signal that meant that they were ready to move forward with the plan, Walter signalled for Kellam to retreat with him. Not a moment too soon either, as Kellam had been forced to engage against two enemy knights with little aid from Walter, as the wires Walter used were ineffective against armor the of the two. The stone faced knight grunted as he retreated backwards with Walter.

The two enemy units fell for the bait, each giving chase. By the time they realized they were walking into a trap, the two knights had already been surrounded. Beads of sweat could be seen forming on the their faces as Miriel, Stahl and Vaike closed in on them.

Walter smiled triumphantly, "Looks like that's checkmate."

Back in the center of the arena, Chrom and Marth's duel seemed to be coming to a close, as both were exhausted. The two seemed to decide that now was the time to exhaust the last of their strength, as they suddenly picked up the pace in the duel. Chrom lunged at Marth, sword blurring through the air. The masked lord deflected the strike and countered with his own, one aimed at sweeping his legs but the attack was deflected by a similar strike. Their twin Falchions were basically a blur of motion, with the only indicator that the swords were even making contact being the sound of the metal clashing. After an intense barrage of strikes from both sides, the two lords simultaneously stepped back for a moment of calm.

After several seconds, Marth twirled his blade and span into a horizontal strike. After that was blocked, Marth raised his sword over his head and slashed at an angle. Chrom pushed his sword forward to meet the blade, and to throw off Marth's momentum. The masked lord retaliated by swinging the blade down to slash at his feet, but Chrom opted to hop over the attack. This brief exchange was followed by several more seconds of blurring blades clashing and parrying before the exchange was put to an end by Chrom bringing his sword skyward, forcing Marth to backup a bit. This was exactly what Chrom wanted, as the blue-haired prince delivered a side kick to Marth's gut, grounding the man.

Before Chrom could capitalize on the opening, Marth used the momentum of his fall to roll backwards and back onto his feet. Marth retreated backwards once again, this time prepared for any unexpected melee attacks. Chrom gave chase, launching a barrage of swings that Marth somehow parried. The masked lord attempted the same strategy that Chrom had grounded him with just seconds earlier, using a spinning kick to the ylissean prince's face. Chrom used the kick to his face to his advantage though, as the momentum of the blow let him backflip out of the way of a follow-up attack that Marth had launched. He proceeded to move his sword to cut Marth's knees, but the attack was parried to the side, leading Chrom into a spin. Chrom used this spin to launch another slash, this time aimed at his opponent's feet. Much to his momentary shock, Marth had anticipated this and had rolled into the air, distancing the two by a considerable amount.

Chrom held his sword out, his grip on the Falchion tightening as he breathed heavily from exhaustion. He carefully blocked another attack aimed for his head and launched one to counter. The Falchions met once more, echoes of the metal ringing heard throughout the coliseum.

At the exact same time, in the exact same fashion, the two lords hopped back, swords lowered to their hips. Both yelled as they rolled the swords over their heads and into a downward slash. The force of the attack was great enough for both of them to lose their grip on their weapons. The twin Falchions were flung to the the opposite sides of the room as their wielders stared at each other for a few seconds. Both were breathing heavily from the fight.

"Impressive...if not surprising…" Marth breathed a heavy breath as he struggled to stay standing. The adrenaline from the battle seemed to be wearing off, as his gut started aching from the kick that Chrom had delivered to him earlier.

"You're... not so... bad either." Chrom laughed. "Too bad I got you beat…"

Marth raised an eyebrow at his statement. The masked lord was sure that Chrom was out of stamina, so wouldn't the fight count as a stalemate? He was about to bring this up when he felt something thin tug at his legs. "What?" The light pull suddenly became a strong tug, one that knocked him flat on his face.

"The mission has been accomplished, sir."

Chrom smirked as Walter walked out of the shadows, his hand grasping the clump of wires that were attached to Marth's legs.

"The rest of the Shepherds have dealt with the remaining forces, and all that's left of the West-Khan's forces is this young man." The butler looked down at the masked lord. _Her fighting style is too similar to Chrom's for it to be coincidence. Lucina stated that she learned how to fight from her father, but…_ Walter's eyes narrowed. He had glanced at the battle between the two blue-haired lords every so often, noting the fact that the two were, at certain times, completely mirroring each other. _Who is she? Where did she come from? Why is she posing as a man named Marth? What is her motive?_

"Marth" looked up into Walter's narrowed eyes, "his" heart beating violently as "he" did. The butler's gun metal grey eyes were devoid of any emotion. Walter looked almost machine like from "Marth's" point of view, and incredibly unsettling to look at.

"This victory belongs to you, Prince Chrom." "Marth" spoke up, "You have bested me in combat, and so I concede defeat." That seemed to be a passcode of some sort, as the wires around "his" legs suddenly retracted back into the confines of Walter's gloves. When "Marth" looked back at the butler, "he" noticed the warmth flush back into the old man's eyes steely eyes. _Quite the change in demeanor._

"Are you okay, milord?" Frederick suddenly came out of nowhere, Lissa trailing right behind him. "The battle was hard-fought and I admit that I was unsure as to whether or not you would claim the victory." Frederick handed Chrom back his Falchion, which had been thrown aside during the battle. "It seems that even someone as strong as you has a match in this world."

Chrom nodded as he sheathed the sword, "Yes, this battle was indeed hard-fought. Marth I commend you for your..." the blue-haired prince turned towards where Marth was originally standing only to see that he had fled once more. noticed that Marth had seemingly fled. "Such a mysterious man; I had hoped to question him on the identity of his father."

"He's so dark and mysterious..." Lissa let out a sigh as she healed Chrom of his minimal wounds. "Always disappearing like the mysterious savior he is..."

Frederick and Chrom shook their heads in disapproval, and that's when they noticed that something was lacking; said something would've replied to Lissa's comments on Marth in a polite, but overall snarky tone.

"Anyone seen Walter?"

* * *

 **West Regna Ferox ~ Outside Arena Ferox  
August 18 (9:33 A.M.)**

Lucina let out a pained gasp as she exhausting fled the Arena. She didn't want to interfere with the timeline anymore then she had to. _Dueling against father was a foolish decision…_ she mentally berated herself. _I almost killed him several times during the match! How could I be so foolish to let the adrenaline from the fight rush to my head?_ She facepalmed as she sat against a tree. Lucina sat there in silence as she removed her mask to wipe the sweat that had formed from the exhausting fight.

"Leaving so soon, milady?"

Lucina was caught off guard when an invisible force tied itself around her body, proceeding to slam her back into the tree she was sitting against. The sound of shoes hitting the grass reached her ears as she stared out into the shadows of the trees in front of her.

"Forgive me for being so rough, but I'm a cautious man." A silhouette of a fairly tall man could made out from in the darkness. "A cautious man resorts to drastic actions when he feels that he, or those he's close to, is threatened." The man stepped out of the shadows.

"Walter…" Lucina shivered as she stared into his face. He was once again devoid of any emotion, like a machine. "What is the meaning of-"

"I want answers." Walter replied coldly. "Last time I had you tied down I let you go because I thought you to be trustworthy. I saved you from those bandits several weeks ago for the same reason, but I admit that that trust has been rather shaken." He lifted his hand slightly to reveal several glimmering wires, each wrapped around Lucina. "You fought Chrom with the intention to kill: do you deny this?"

Lucina felt her body freeze up completely. "I-I didn't mean to-" she let out a choked gasp as she felt the wires tighten around her body.

"Speak up, girl." Walter bit into his wires and tugged, causing them tighten around the blue-haired girl. "There won't be any mercy this time, unless you tell me what your motives are." A shroud of darkness covered the butler's face, his shimmering monocle being the only part of him visible. "If not, you'll find out first hand why friend and foe alike called me the Angel of Death."

"I was-" Lucina was gasping for air. "-I was… I was testing him…" She felt the wires loosen a little; just enough for her to breath a bit easier.

"Testing him?" Walter's eyes narrowed, "Quite the test, wouldn't you say? A fight to the death, such a steep price for failing a "test"." The Angel of Death lowered himself, so he could eye level with the girl, and stared into her eyes. "Where did you learn to fight, and where did you get that sword?"

Lucina was dazed, but she still managed to respond. "My- my father… my father taught me…" She felt as though her head was going to explode from how tight the wires were. "It- it was my… my father that gave me the… the sword…"

Walter sat there in silence for a moment. _Her father? How could her father give her an exact replica of the Falchion? I was under the impression that there was only one in existence, at least that's what the research I did on Ylisse's history points to._ His eyes fell on the parallel Falchion resting in it's sheath at Lucina's hip. _It reeks with the same divine energy that I can sense from Chrom's sword, so the thing can't be a fake._ _Not to mention the fact that the fighting style her father allegedly taught her is the exact same style that Chrom fight's with. Each move that Chrom executed against her, she would mirror it in the exact same fashion; hell sometimes it would be Chrom that mirrored her!_

After pondering for a second, Walter spoke up again. "Who's your father?"

Unfortunately, the pain from the wires seemed to be too much for Lucina, as she felt her consciousness slipping. The young woman couldn't even mutter a single word coeherently. Walter clicked his teeth in impatience as he snapped his fingers in front of the girl face to get her attention.

"Focus on me, will you? You can sleep after I'm finished with…" the butler's voice trailed off. He caught a glimpse of something in the girl's left eye. "No…" Walter leaned in closer to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "That can't be possible..."

* * *

 **Ylisstol, Ylisse ~ The Royal Palace  
August 4 ~ Two weeks earlier…**

"What does the mark on your right shoulder signify, Chrom?" Walter poured young prince a cup of tea. Chrom had grown fond of the the hot liquid after Walter made him some a few days earlier, though he didn't want to drink tea made by anyone other than Walter, stating that "only you know how to make a good cup, Walter.".

"The Brand of the Exalt?" Chrom took a small sip of his tea. "What got you curious?"

Walter took the seat across from Chrom as he poured himself a cup of tea. "Well, I'm curious because I saw the same exact mark on Lady Emmeryn's forehead. I was curious as to why this is and to what it signifies."

"Well…" Chrom scratched the back of his head. "The mark is called The Brand of the Exalt, and it's a mark that signifies that a person has Exalted blood in their veins. To put it simply, it's a mark that appears on people with blood relations to the Exalt, like Emmeryn and myself."

"Does that mean that Lissa has a mark like yours and Lady Emmeryn?"

Chrom shook his head, "Nah, she doesn't. It's something that doesn't appear on every person with exalted blood." He chuckled to himself, "Lissa is very sensitive about the subject, so I wouldn't recommend bringing it up around her."

"I'll make sure to remember that."

* * *

 **(Present time)**

 _ **(Play Song~ What if I can't? What If I'm not worthy of her ideals?)**_

"The brand…" Walter muttered under his breath. "You have the brand…" The butler got to his feet, his grip on his wires loosening as he did. He stared at the girl, time seeming to slow down for him. _Midnight blue hair, the Falchion she uses, her fighting style, and the Brand of the Exalt in her left eye. Could she be…?_

Lucina felt relief as she felt Walter's wires loosen. She made sure to take deep breaths, as she still felt light headed. As soon as she felt less lightheaded, she became aware of her surroundings; mostly of the fact that Walter was staring at her like she was a ghost.

"Your father…" Walter swallowed as he felt his ability to speak fade. "Chrom is your father, isn't he?"

Lucina's midnight blue eyes met Walter's gray ones. The two stared at one another in silence for what felt like an eternity. Lucina was silent, mainly because she felt afraid of the man before her. The man had nearly strangled her to death, but Lucina saw that his reasons for doing so might be justified. _I did nearly kill father, and it seems like Walter is very protective of him. Perhaps I was at fault for letting myself lose control like I did in the coliseum._

Gathering up her courage, she nodded. "Yes, Chrom is my father."

Walter stared at the young woman in stunned silence. Gathering up his composure, he spoke up. "How is that possible? Chrom has no wife, and you're just as old as he is, if not slightly younger. How are you the daughter of Chrom?"

Lucina took a deep breath, "I have come from the future, 20 years in the future to be exact. I'm to be born in a years time."

"I…" Walter clutched his forehead, "If that's so, why have you come to the past?"

The ylissean princess from the future looked at the ground, the sorrow evident in her eyes. "I- I have come to prevent a catastrophe. A catastrophe that revolves around Plegia's actions in the next few days."

"What catastrophe? What the hell happens in the next few days?" Walter felt dread building up in him. "What kind of catastrophe would warrant someone coming back from the future to prevent it?"

The blue haired princess weighed her options. _Is it truly safe to tell him? There may be consequences if I do, but I need help; I can't do this alone. None of my allies are anywhere to be seen, and Naga knows that I can't do this without them._ Lucina held her breath and crossed her fingers. "In a few days from now, Plegia will assassinate Lady Emmeryn. In a desperate bid to defend her, my father will receive an injury that will affect him heavily for the rest of his life. I guess you can say that that's the event that triggers the chaos that I've come to prevent."

The aged butler was silent. _Lady Emmeryn, assassinated?_ Walter felt an immeasurable amount of rage building up in him. _How could I let that happen? How could I let Emmeryn die? How could I not prevent Chrom from getting crippled? Where was I; on a sabbatical leave?_ Walter closed his eyes. _Perhaps you betrayed them like you did Integra._ The thought echoing through his mind in a voice that did not belong to him. "Where was I during this? Surely you know where Chrom's butler was at the time. Surely I was at Chrom's side during the conflict, at least tell me I was there."

"You…" Lucina stared at the man, seeing yet another change in demeanor. _He's completely different from before._ Lucina looked deep into the gray eyes that seemed more bluish then earlier. Walter didn't look confident in his abilities; he didn't look composed and dignified; he didn't look like the murderous Angel of Death.

He looked guilty.

The way Walter stared at Lucina told her all she needed to know about how dedicated the man was to protecting her father. He looked like he needed assurance, assurance that he at least tried to protect his master. Assurance that he did not cower in the face of danger or abandon his duties. Walter was staring at her, hoping that she would say something along the lines of, "you fell trying to protect the two" or "you tried your best, but the enemy was too much for you". Lucina could not fathom just how much the butler would hurt if he were told that he had abandoned yet another master, and maybe even possibly betrayed them.

"I'm sorry, Walter, but I don't think you were there to help during the assassination." she finally replied. "In fact, I don't even recall either my father or mother mentioning you once."

There was silence between the two for what felt like hours. For awhile, the only noise that could be heard was the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. All the while Walter stared at Lucina, the color drained from his face.

After the eternity of silence, Walter finally spoke up. "So that's it…." A smile formed on his face. This wasn't a warm smile, or even his signature grin. This was the smile of a man that was boiling over from the rage he was feeling. A smile of a man that was suppressing a raging fire.

"I did it again…" the smile on his face never fading as he practically spat those words out. "I guess it only makes sense." Walter stepped away from Lucina, walking towards one of the other trees in the area. "Once a traitor, always a traitor." he began to laugh. "So, I wonder why I did it this time." The laughter began to sound insane to Lucina. "Was it so I could be remembered?" The laughter began to die down and Walter began to breath deeply. "If I can't be remembered as the man that killed Alucard back home, why not be renowned as the man that left the Halidom of Ylisse to die in this one?" His body began to shake. "Just wanted to do something with my time on the stage worthy of applause… that's it…"

Walter wanted to strangle himself with his own wires, but a thought occurred to him. _I can help Lucina change the future. I now know that I wasn't there for Chrom when he needed me, and now I can make sure that I am. I'll succeed where the me of Lucina's future failed, or die trying._

 _ **(Play Song~ Id (Hope))**_

Walter gritted his teeth as mentally recited an oath to himself. _I am above betraying others and I will not abandon another master, no matter how enticing the prospect ever becomes._

"Lucina…"

The blue haired girl stared at Walter, who turned around to face her again. There was a change in his eyes yet again. The man once again not only looked confident, but determined.

Determined to change the the day that she had described.

Determined to not fail neither Chrom nor Emmeryn.

Determined to be Walter Dornez, the Angel of Death, and the guardian to the Halidom of Ylisse.

"I swear to you…" Walter stood tall, a fire in his eyes. "Lucina, for the sake of your future, and for the sake of myself, I will make sure that nothing will harm the Halidom of Ylisse. No matter what it is, whether it be a man, dog or monster, my wires will shed the blood of whatever comes after Emmeryn on the night you described to me." The man swiped his hand, summoning his wires. "I swear to you that I will protect them no matter what!"

Lucina, for the first time in awhile, felt hopeful. She felt hopeful that this man, this powerful man, would save the future that she had fought in. _We can do this! Together, we'll save Lady Emmeryn and father! Together, we'll prevent the chaos brought by Grima!_

Lucina was so distracted by the prospect of saving the future that she didn't notice that a few wrinkles had seemingly faded from Walter's face, making him look at least a decade younger.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes**_

 _ **Walter's de-aging!? Not by much, but there seems to be some magic de-aging going on there.**_

 _ **So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm sure you're happy that this update came so quickly. I'm going to say this now; the next chapter will not come out this quickly.**_

 _ **The only reason this chapter came out so quickly was because I was writing it in conjunction with the last chapter, so by the time the last chapter was released this one was already almost done. I doubt I'll be able to do that again, but I'll definitely try.**_

 _ **Anyway, time for some behind the keyboard stuff that you may or may not find interesting. I've written several sections on what happened while I was writing the chapter and how certain sections were written. You can find them all below, or you can skip it. Your choice!**_

 _ **Chrom VS. Marth (Lucina)  
**_ _ **This was awesome to write! I really wanted to go into detail about how I envisioned a fight like this would go down. I came to the conclusion that the two would be evenly matched with each other and that they were using the same fighting style, so I wrote it as such. The beginning and middle section of the fight were pretty simple, seeing as I just needed to look at the story cutscene for reference, but the ending section was pretty difficult to write. I wanted the image of a fast paced duel between two people who looked like they had been fighting their entire lives to be the image in your head. To get some idea's I actually went and watched some lightsaber duels from Star Wars to get some ideas. The result was the final section of the fight being a whole lot more interesting then when I first wrote the rough draft of this chapter.**_

 _ **I really hope you enjoyed reading the section as much as I enjoyed writing it.**_

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 _ **Lucina: Comes to the past to save her father... only to kill him herself...**_ _ **  
It seems that Lucina was fighting to kill during the tournament. During one of my playthroughs of Awakening, I was curious as to whether or not Lucina would actually kill Chrom during the Two Falchions mission. To satiate my curiosity, I unequiped Chrom of his weapons and placed him in front of Lucina. You can imagine the horror on my face as I watched Lucina cut down her own father... well it was more of a stupid grin then horror filled eyes.**_

 _ **Okay, I was laughing, but who wouldn't be laughing? The entire reason for Lucina coming back from the future was to save Chrom and the future, so why the hell did they program it to be possible for her to kill him?!**_

 _ **"Oh, I'm Lucina and I'm gonna go to the past to save my father from dying! Whoops! Looks like I stabbed him in the gut! Oh well!"**_

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 ** _Walter Angers  
_** ** _Whoa, looks like Walter lost his temper for a minute there! Anyway, originally the conversation between Walter and Lucina was going to be peaceful, with the two conversing peacefully, but I scrapped that after reflecting on it for awhile. As I mentioned in the previous behind the keyboard section, Lucina was fighting Chrom to the death, so Walter would obviously perceive her as an enemy to his master. He said it himself in chapter 2 of this story._**

"Look." Walter crossed his hands. "I don't want to do this, but you constitute as an unknown variable, a wild card if you may. I want to know if you're after Chrom's head. I'd rather not have him die under my watch because I was too ignorant to account for some masked woman, who lied to him about her gender. Now tell me if you understand, otherwise this will become much more painful!"

 ** _Thus, Walter's Angel of Death moment was written into the story._**

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 _ **Cut!  
**_ _ **You may get angry at me for doing this, but I cut a few things from this chapter; most notably an entirely different ending.**_

 _ **Starting with the first cut part, Walter was going to wander around the coliseum during the 45 minutes before the tournament actually begun. During this time, he would go talk to those that were participating in the battle: Stahl, Miriel, Kellam, and Vaike. He would also spot Lucina heading towards the western side of the Arena. The reason this was cut was because one of the charaters he was originally going to talk to isn't here, for reasons I'll go into later. A stupid reason for cutting an entire section, but I already spent all of last chapter developing Walter's relationships with everyone, and the one character that got cut from this chapter was the only one Walter hadn't had interactions with before, so it felt like pointless padding.**_

 _ **The next big cut was the entire conversation that occurs after you beat the mission in game; where Basalio and Lon'qu are introduced. This was cut because of the fact that Walter had walked out of the room. I know that I could just write Walter out of the scene entirely, but the scene could use some good Walter dialogue! Not to mention that it would make no sense that Walter had somehow caught up with Lucina after having a several minute conversation with Basalio and Lon'qu. Don't worry though, this scene will be included in the next chapter!**_

 _ **The final big scene cut would've occurred after Walter and Lucina vowed to save Emmeryn and Chrom, with the scene being the walk back to Ylisstol, the news of Maribelle's kidnapping, and the mobilization of the Shepherd's to meet with Gangrel. Okay, so I cut out more then 3,000 word's of content from the ending. My reason for doing this being that It would've been too much for this chapter. I felt that the current ending for this chapter was fine enough as it was, and that any more would've resulted in the losing of tension. Extending thecchapter by another 3,000 plus words would've over extended this already long chapter. So I cut it from this chapter and I'll use it as the intro for the next chapter, at least the march back to Ylisse part. Let's just say I need to get to introducing a character that was cut from this chapter...**_

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 _ **The original chapter 7, featuring a bucket head...  
**_ _ **Chapter 6 and 7 went through some development hell. As I stated in the last chapter, I was going through some pretty rough stuff throughout 2016 and it was really affecting my ability to write this story. Originally, chapter 7, which was going to be chapter 6 if I hadn't posted "Friendly Conversation", was going to take place during the several week wait between Chapter 5 "Guardianship" and this chapter. The original chapter that this one replaced was going to involve a beloved pot wearing village boy that was going to come crying to the Shepherds to save his village from some brigands.**_ _ **  
**_

 _ **Yes, this chapter was going to originally be about Donnel, or Donny as some people call him.**_

 _ **This cut chapter was the reason an entire section of this chapter was cut out, as Walter was going to have a heart-to-heart with Donnel during the 45 minutes before the tournament. The reason I postponed Donnel's introduction was for a multitude of reasons, and I'll go over the main ones now.**_

 _ **1) I couldn't think of a decent way to open the chapter up**_

 _ **2) I couldn't figure out how to write the chapter, as I wanted it to feature a stealth section involving Kellam discreetly freeing the villagers from the behind the brigands backs, as well as a bit of bonding between Walter and Sumia.**_

 _ **3)You guys waited for the tournament chapter for long enough, so I wanted to give you guys the chapter that had been promised over a year ago.**_

 _ **4) I couldn't decide what characters would be omitted from the chapter and who wouldn't; the only characters that were cemented into the chapter's story being: Walter, Donnel, Sumia and Kellam.**_

 _ **Don't worry, Donnel will get introduced sooner or later... though sooner is much more likely then later.**_

* * *

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the little sections on the stuff that was cut from this chapter, or the reasons as to why I wrote some of the scenes the way I did. Of course that only applies if you actually read them, cause that's perfectly fine to do. I can't force you to read the trivia.**_

 _ **I hope that you enjoyed this chapter overall. I had the greatest time writing it and I hope you had a great time reading it.**_

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 _ **If you like the story so far, why not favorite it?**_

 _ **If you want to be notified whenever I update the story, go ahead and follow!**_

 _ **Hell, if you want to be notified as to when I post anything, whether it be a new chapter or new story, go ahead and follow me (not literally of course, cause that's stalking)  
**_

 _ **Review if you wanna comment!**_

 _ **I'll see you next chapter!**_


	9. IMPORTANT UPDATE, NOT DEAD

_**Walter Dornez of the Emblem UPDATE CHAPTER**_

Walter: My, what a mess the author's gotten himself into. It feels like it takes him an entire year to update anything, and here I am standing around waiting for my story to make progress. This is becoming dreadfully dull...

 _Lucina runs into the room_

Lucina: Did you get the news, Walter!?

Walter: No I did not get the news, what is it Lucina?

 _Lucina begins to hop up and down excitedly._

Lucina: Our story is getting updated!

Walter: Really? Lucina, I don't like jokes- especially the kind that get your hopes up.

Lucina: I'm not joking! We're getting updated soon!

 _Walter recoils in surprise_

Walter: What!? But I thought that the author had dropped off the face of the Earth like he usually does!

Lucina: Well, he did feel like giving up on completing the story, but he suddenly had a bout of invigoration after replaying Fire Emblem Awakening again. After that, he decided to re-watch all of Hellsing Ultimate in order to get his brain running again!

Walter: Unbelievable! I cannot believe this is happening! I'm so happy that I can bloody kiss you right now!

 _Lucina blushes_

Lucina: Maybe if you were younger, but I'll let you hug me if you want.

Walter: That's fine by me.

 _Walter hugs Lucina_

Walter: Wait, how do I know that the author isn't going to disappear again?

Lucina: Well, he's actually stockpiling chapters right now.

Walter: What do you mean by that?

Lucina: I mean that he's producing several chapters at the moment and he hopes to have three to five chapters written ahead of time. That way he can update the story with a more consistent schedule.

Walter: How many chapter's does he have finished right now?

Lucina: Currently chapter 12 is in progress with chapters 10 and 11 needing editing.

Walter: What about chapter 9?

Lucina: He's finishing up editing right now!

Walter: My, this is quite the surprise.

Lucina: That's not all, he's decided to provide a preview for chapter 9!

Walter: Then what're we doing standing around here? Let's see the preview!

* * *

 **South Regna Ferox**  
 **August 18 (12:10 P.M.)**

"It's time for explanations, Walter." Chrom moved to the butler's side. "General rule, men get older, not younger."

Walter nodded, "Yes, that is true for most people." The butler stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Of course, as you are no doubt aware, I am not like most people. I need to be honest with you, you are my master after all." He lifted the glove off of his hand to reveal the sigil tattooed to the back of his hand.

Chrom's face bore a confused expression. "What's that supposed to be?"

The butler sighed as he paced the glove back over his hand. "My punishment, I guess. Sealed within me is an unholy power that I dare not use under any circumstances. It's a power that is far too dangerous to be unleashed in this world." Walter stared up at the sky. "You see, the symbol on my hand is what is called a "sealing sigil". Where I come from, sealing sigils are used to contain someone- or something's- power. The seal is generally made to force something, most often a monster, into subjugation. This results in a master/servant dynamic between the sealer and the sealed. The sealer will be connected to the sealed through the seal. In order for the seal to maintain itself, the sealer must sacrifice something daily. The sacrificed object must be something connected to the sealer, one example being blood. So long as the the sealer continues to meet the seals requirements, the sealed will be unable to access whatever was contained without permission."

The Ylissean prince lifted an eyebrow. "So you're saying that someone placed a seal on you in order to seal your power?"

Walter shook his head, "Not exactly Chrom. You see the seal was indeed placed in order to seal the power within myself, but this is a case where I am both the sealed and the sealer."

Chrom's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean to tell me that you purposefully put a seal on yourself?"

"No, it wasn't me that put the seal up. Whoever created the seal did so with the intention of not controlling it." Walter stared at the back of his gloved hand with a forlorn expression. "The seal was created specifically so that I'm in control of it. It feeds on my physical energy in order to maintain itself."

"So that's why you're so easily exhausted?" The blue-haired prince crossed his arms.

"Yes, that is correct." Walter let out a sigh. "Unfortunately, that means my stamina is practically halved at all times."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't explain to me why you suddenly look a decade younger though."

"Yes, that's where it gets slightly complicated, sir." The butler had a dark expression on his face. "You see, the power sealed within me isn't simply just a large power boost. The power sealed is the result of an unholy experiment of sorts, one that I was unfortunately subjugated to. What this power does is it not only heightens all my senses beyond what could feasibly be possible by human standards, but it also returns me to the prime of my life; the prime of my life being my mid-twenties to mid-thirties." Walter clenched his fist in rage. "Me de-aging by about a decade is a result of the power of the seal weakening. My hypothesis is that the seal was made in order to contain the power, but only for awhile."

Chrom looked at his friend with a concerned look. "Does that mean that the seal will eventually be released of it's own accord?"

Walter shook his head. "No, no matter what the seal is connected to my own physical energy. So long as I'm alive, the seal will stay in place." Walter clicked his teeth in annoyance, "That won't stop me from steadily de-aging though. I'll continue to de-age until eventually I de-age to the years after my prime or…" Walter trailed off.

"Or what?"

"...or I will continue to de-age until my body wears down into nothing." The butler said gravely.

Chrom gripped Walter's shoulders and looked the butler in the eyes. Concern was written all over the prince's face, something that even the most clueless person could see. "Then why the hell are you keeping the damn seal up!?" Chrom's teeth clenched. "If that thing is killing you then what's the point in keeping it up!?"

Walter scowled and replied, "No, you haven't any idea what releasing the seal would unleash. As it stands, I'd rather I die as I am- a human- rather than live as a monster."

"I am ordering you to release that seal, Walter!" Chrom looked desperate.

"I refuse to carry out that order, sir." Walter spoke in a monotone voice. The butler released himself from Chrom's grip. "I am merely your butler, sir. Why do you even care?

The Ylissean prince was taken aback by the question. It took him a moment to think of how to word his response. When he did, he stared right into Walter's gunmetal grey eyes. "I'll do anything to protect those around me. You're not just my butler, Walter, nor are you just a subordinate. You're my friend, and I like to think that I'm your friend too." Chrom tightened his grip on Walter's shoulders. "Friends help each other, Walter. I'm asking you, as a friend, release that seal."

Walter saw a fire in the young lord's eyes, one that he had also seen when he served Integra. The idea of protecting everyone was far from feasible, no matter what a leader will lose someone under their command, but it was refreshing for the butler to see a young leader with the determination of a king many times his age.

Walter sighed, "I'm sorry Chrom, I will not release the seal." he said simply. "Even as a friend, that is a request I cannot grant. I'd rather it be you that buries me in the end, not me that buries you."

The fire in Chrom's eyes faded slightly, but the Ylissean prince was still determined. "In that case, you'll have to make sure to fulfill the other promise you made, to always come back from battle alive. If the prospect of dying by the seal's effects don't bother you, then make sure that that's what you die by. I won't let you die any other way."

Walter smiled, "Of course sir."

* * *

Lucina: You're dying!?

Walter: It's fine, Lucina, I really don't mind dying.

 _Lucina looks distraught_

Walter: Oh dear, Chrom I can handle, but I doubt that I could handle you...

Lucina: Walter, you have to release that seal!

Walter: Child, I cannot bear to release the seal.

Lucina: But you have to! The story is called " ** _Walter Dornez_** of the Emblem"! The story can't function without you!

 _Lucina begins to cry_

Walter: Lucina... I...

 _Lucina's light sobs and whimpers interrupt Walter_

Walter: It seems that I'm facing a dilemma at the moment, but I can at least say- with confidence- that this story is officially off it's unofficial hiatus! I do hope that it stays that way up until the very end!

 _Walter is suddenly hugged by Lucina, who continues to sob into the aged butler's chest, as she is a good head shorter than him._

Walter: Oh Lucina... the way you're behaving is simply... I don't even know... all I can say is that this is going to be the cause for some interesting rumors on the nature of our relationship...

 _Walter picks up Lucina, who is practically crying a river of tears, bridal style._

Walter: I hope you folks have enjoyed the update. If you'll excuse me, I have to attended to Miss Lucina.

 _The butler leaves while carrying the princess from the future in his arms._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Chrom walks in_

Chrom: I wonder what all that noise was...

 _Chrom searches every corner of the room_

Chrom: I could've sworn I heard Walter talking to someone. I could also hear the sound of a woman crying as he did- it must've been...

 _A crumpled up piece of paper hits Chrom in the back of the head. The Ylissean prince picks up the paper_

Chrom: Huh, it says "the story rating will probably change rating from T to M due to the increased violence in the upcoming chapters". I wonder what that means...

 _He tosses the paper into one of the waste bins within the room._

Chrom: I should probably find Walter and ask him about it.

 _Chrom leaves the room_

* * *

 ** _Oh crap, the story is being updated. As the main three, more like two since Chrom had no idea what was going on, characters stated, this story is not abandoned!_**

 ** _HUZZAH!_**

 ** _The plan is to have chapter 9 out sometime within the following week, so that means it could even come out tomorrow(highly unlikely it will come out tomorrow) As detailed above, chapters 10 and 11 need to be edited and I am working on chapter 12 right now. As for the rating change, I'm thinking about it. The following chapters feature a lot more of Walter..._**

 ** _...being Walter, so it would make sense if I do up the rating. Then again, the language is also pretty tame, hell there's really only been a couple minor swears. I don't even think there's been any of those either to be frank. Even then, it's not like I'm gonna do anything extreme like write a sex scene or something._**

 ** _Unless there's a crazy demand for that, then I may consider it..._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _...I'm kidding..._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _...maybe..._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _Either way, the rating change is up in the air right now._**

 ** _I'm just happy to be back writing this story. I've wanted to come back to it for a long time, but I never had the motivation to until recently. I really did feel like giving it up, but now I'm determined to see this through to the very end!_**

 ** _Thank you for your patience, especially to those who have been with this fic since the very beginning. I hope that the wait was worth it!_**


	10. From Sickle to Sword

_**DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

 _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**_

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 **BOLD=IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT.**

 _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**_ **  
** _ **  
(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**_

 _ **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**_

* * *

 **West Regna Ferox ~ Arena Ferox  
** **August 18 (10:01 A.M.)**

 _ **(**_ _ **Play Song~**_ _ **"Here we are! The Shepherds' garrison." [Fire Emblem Awakening OST])**_

"There you are, Walter! We've been looking all over for you!" Lissa was grinning from ear-to-ear as the aged butler walked back into the coliseum, though he did not look very comfortable. In fact, he seemed to look a bit different overall.

"Whoa, you're looking a little younger, Walts!" Lissa's eyes widened in shock as she got a good look at the "aged" butler's face. A few wrinkles seemed to have been erased from his face completely; an example being the wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes seemingly vanishing. The wrinkles that were still visible were not as prominent as before, some barely even noticeable. His hairline was no longer receding, at least not as much, and his gunmetal gray eyes seemed to have gained slightly more prominence.

"Yes, Lissa, I noticed." Walter replied, less than enthused by his sudden de-aging. "I'll explain everything as soon as we're on our way back to Ylisstol."

Lissa nodded, "Okay, but Chrom wanted you around for when Flavia congratulated us on our victory." Walter was caught off-guard when Lissa suddenly gripped his arm and began to drag him back into the coliseum arena. Chrom and Flavia were standing at the center of the now empty arena

"Ah, glad to see that Lissa..." Chrom's voice trailed off. The blue-haired prince and butler made eye contact and this seemingly translated to, "we'll talk about this later."

Flavia didn't seem to notice the change in Walter's appearance and began to congratulate Chrom on his victory. "Well fought! You have my respect!" She gave Chrom a pat on the back. "More to the point, you have your alliance. I will provide your Exalt with all the soldiers that she needs."

Chrom looked absolutely ecstatic at the news. Truly? Thank you, East-Khan!"

The East-Khan respectfully bowed her head to Chrom, showing the blue-haired prince her appreciation. "I should thank you! It feels like ages since I've held full power. Come my new friends!" Flavia started to make her way towards the coliseum's exit. "Tonight, we celebrate!"

As she left the coliseum, another figure made his way towards the Shepherds.

"Bah, any excuse for a party and Flavia jumps on it!" He complained as he stopped in front of Chrom.

"I suppose introductions are in order. I am the West-Khan that you so rudely removed from power!" Basilio glared at the blue-haired prince in contempt. "I thought for sure that I'd picked the stronger man, but turns out I was wrong."

Chrom returned the glare that Basilio was giving him, showcasing a bit of his own gutsiness as a result. "You choose your fighters well, West-Khan. I was nearly bested by Marth several times during our duel. This makes me curious as to how you managed to come across such a talented warrior."

"Talented warrior?" Basilio chuckled slightly. "That Marth kid was nothing but a deluded sellsword! Only reason I know him is because he beat my last champion in no time flat. The battle was over in a flash, it barely even registered to me that my champion had lost to him!" Basilio dropped the glare and grinned. "It was love at first sight, and I'm damn too old for that kind of thing!"

Chrom crossed his arms. "So can you arrange a meeting with him? I have some questions I want to ask him."

Basilio shook his head. "No, the guy up and fled the moment the tournament ended. I've no idea where he went."

Walter, despite his confrontation with Marth/Lucina, had no idea where she was going either.  
 _Perhaps I should've asked her, it's best to keep tabs on all possible allies._

Lissa out a sigh as she stared up towards the sky with a dreamy look in her eyes. "He's so dark and mysterious…" She cooed.

Walter rolled his eyes as Lissa swooned over Marth, unaware that Marth was in fact a woman named Lucina and her future niece. Walter gagged at the very thought of Lissa and Lucina as a couple.

"Perhaps, miss Lissa, you should swoon over another person." Walter spoke up, suppressing his intense desire to vomit. "Someone that is a little less dark and broody maybe?"

The Ylissean princess grumbled a bit before replying. "Aw come on Walts! After all, he is kinda dreamy!"

Chrom turned toward Lissa and stared at her with a threatening scowl. "If he lays one finger on you, he'll find that finger cut off!"

"Hah! Nice to know that you care so much big brother!" Lissa laughed as she playfully punched Chrom's arm. "I was only messin with yah!"

Frederick stepped forward, "Milord? Milady? If the two of you are finished, we'd best return home to Ylisstol. Lady Emmeryn will be wanting to hear the news of our new alliance immediately."

Walter stepped beside Frederick. "I concur, It's best that we make haste and return as soon as possible."

Chrom scratched the back of his head as he looked at the two. "Yeesh, I thought Frederick was bad enough but now I've got Walter shadowing me as well." the prince chuckled. "You two are right, as always."

As the group prepared to leave, Basilio stopped them in their progress.

"I've got a little present for you. You can think of it as my contribution to our alliance." Basilio signalled for someone to come forward. A man with a scruffy mass of brown hair walked out from behind the shadows of one of the coliseum's pillars. He seemed to have a perpetual scowl on his face that shouted, "I really don't like you". His hand seemed to edge way too close to the katana strapped to his hip, making Walter somewhat tense.

"This is Lon'qu, the champion that Marth had beat." Basilio introduced the man. "He's not very talkative, mind you, but I can assure you that he's the best swordsman I have at my disposal. Even Though he was beat by Marth, I've faith that the man is just as good as Marth." Basilio's face scrunched up in disgust as he thought about the masked man. "Honestly, I still can't figure out how he bested him so quickly."

Lissa's eyes widened in shock. "You mean to tell me that Marth beat this guy! He looks so big and strong…" the blonde smirked as she approached Lon'qu.

"Away, woman!" Lon'qu growled as he suddenly tightened his grip on his sword. Before anyone else had a chance to react, Walter suddenly moved in front of Lissa. If looks could kill, the one on Walter's face would've killed Alucard.  
"Unsheathe that sword and I amputate your sword arm." Walter threatened. The two spent several seconds glaring at each other before Lon'qu moved his hand away from his sword.

"My apologies…" The Feroxi swordsman immediately relaxed his posture, showing that he had no intent to kill.

Basilio erupted in laughter as he patted Lon'qu on the back. "As you can see, the poor man isn't exactly the best with the ladies. He tends to get tense around 'em!" The West-Khan let out a few more chuckles before he resumed his stoneface. "Nonetheless, he is indeed capable. I have no doubt that he'd make an excellent khan."

Chrom was taken aback. "You sure about this?"

"Yes, yes." Basilio nodded. "He's your man now. Lon'qu will have no objections either. He'll be loyal to you to the bitter end." Lon'qu nodded to signify that he agreed with Basilio's statement.

"Alright then." Chrom motioned towards the exit. "Let's head back home."

 _ **(End music here)**_

* * *

 **South Regna Ferox  
** **August 18 (12:10 P.M.)**

"It's time for explanations, Walter." Chrom moved to the butler's side. "General rule, men get older, not younger."

Walter nodded, "Yes, that is true for most people." The butler stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Of course, as you are no doubt aware, I am not like most people. I need to be honest with you, you are my master after all." He lifted the glove off of his hand to reveal the sigil tattooed to the back of his hand.

Chrom's face bore a confused expression. "What's that supposed to be?"

The butler sighed as he paced the glove back over his hand. "My punishment, I guess. Sealed within me is an unholy power that I dare not use under any circumstances. It's a power that is far too dangerous to be unleashed in this world." Walter stared up at the sky. "You see, the symbol on my hand is what is called a "sealing sigil". Where I come from, sealing sigils are used to contain someone- or something's- power. The seal is generally made to force something, most often a monster, into subjugation. This results in a master/servant dynamic between the sealer and the sealed. The sealer will be connected to the sealed through the seal. In order for the seal to maintain itself, the sealer must sacrifice something daily. The sacrificed object must be something connected to the sealer, one example being blood. So long as the the sealer continues to meet the seals requirements, the sealed will be unable to access whatever was contained without permission."

The Ylissean prince lifted an eyebrow. "So you're saying that someone placed a seal on you in order to seal your power?"

Walter shook his head, "Not exactly Chrom. You see the seal was indeed placed in order to seal the power within myself, but this is a case where I am both the sealed and the sealer."

Chrom's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean to tell me that you purposefully put a seal on yourself?"

"No, it wasn't me that put the seal up. Whoever created the seal did so with the intention of not controlling it." Walter stared at the back of his gloved hand with a forlorn expression. "The seal was created specifically so that I'm in control of it. It feeds on my physical energy in order to maintain itself."

"So that's why you're so easily exhausted?" The blue-haired prince crossed his arms.

"Yes, that is correct." Walter let out a sigh. "Unfortunately, that means my stamina is practically halved at all times."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't explain to me why you suddenly look a decade younger though."

"Yes, that's where it gets slightly complicated, sir." The butler had a dark expression on his face. "You see, the power sealed within me isn't simply just a large power boost. The power sealed is the result of an unholy experiment of sorts, one that I was unfortunately subjugated to. What this power does is it not only heightens all my senses beyond what could feasibly be possible by human standards, but it also returns me to the prime of my life; the prime of my life being my mid-twenties to mid-thirties." Walter clenched his fist in rage. "Me de-aging by about a decade is a result of the power of the seal weakening. My hypothesis is that the seal was made in order to contain the power, but only for awhile."

Chrom looked at his friend with a concerned look. "Does that mean that the seal will eventually be released of it's own accord?"

Walter shook his head. "No, no matter what the seal is connected to my own physical energy. So long as I'm alive, the seal will stay in place." Walter clicked his teeth in annoyance, "That won't stop me from steadily de-aging though. I'll continue to de-age until eventually I de-age to the years after my prime or…" Walter trailed off.

"Or what?"

"...or I will continue to de-age until my body wears down into nothing." The butler said gravely.

Chrom gripped Walter's shoulders and looked the butler in the eyes. Concern was written all over the prince's face, something that even the most clueless person could see. "Then why the hell are you keeping the damn seal up!?" Chrom's teeth clenched. "If that thing is killing you then what's the point in keeping it up!?"

Walter scowled and replied, "No, you haven't any idea what releasing the seal would unleash. As it stands, I'd rather I die as I am- a human- rather than live as a monster."

"I am ordering you to release that seal, Walter!" Chrom looked desperate.

"I refuse to carry out that order, sir." Walter spoke in a monotone voice. The butler released himself from Chrom's grip. "I am merely your butler, sir. Why do you even care?

The Ylissean prince was taken aback by the question. It took him a moment to think of how to word his response. When he did, he stared right into Walter's gunmetal grey eyes. "I'll do anything to protect those around me. You're not just my butler, Walter, nor are you just a subordinate. You're my friend, and I like to think that I'm your friend too." Chrom tightened his grip on Walter's shoulders. "Friends help each other, Walter. I'm asking you, as a friend, release that seal."

Walter saw a fire in the young lord's eyes, one that he had also seen when he served Integra. The idea of protecting everyone was far from feasible, no matter what a leader will lose someone under their command, but it was refreshing for the butler to see a young leader with the determination of a king many times his age.

Walter sighed, "I'm sorry Chrom, I will not release the seal." he said simply. "Even as a friend, that is a request I cannot grant. I'd rather it be you that buries me in the end, not me that buries you."

The fire in Chrom's eyes faded slightly, but the Ylissean prince was still determined. "In that case, you'll have to make sure to fulfill the other promise you made, to always come back from battle alive. If the prospect of dying by the seal's effects doesn't bother you, then make sure that that's what you die by. I won't let you die any other way."

Walter smiled, "Of course sir."

* * *

 **The Northroad  
** **August 18 (5:30 P.M.)**

As it was getting dark, and there was no way they were going to reach Ylisstol within the next few hours, the Shepherds set up camp along the Northroad. Everyone was going about their usual business until the sound of someone screaming for help caught their attention.

"Halp! You gots to help us! I'm beggin' you, milords!" A young man with what appeared to be a cooking pot on top of his head ran into the camp and dropped to his knees before Chrom.

"Slow down, what happened?" Chrom lifted the young man back to his feet. "Just calm down and tell me what's wro-" Chrom was cut off by the sudden appearance of a brigand.

"Oy, there's the wee little piglet!" the brigand squealed in delight.

"Great, bandits…" Chrom said unenthusiastically. The Ylissean prince unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the brigand.

"What's this?" The brigand was obviously amused by Chrom, possibly due to the fact that he had no idea who he was confronting. "A little lording come to watch over has chatt-" the brigand had not time to finish his sentence, as several deep gashes suddenly appeared on his legs. The bandit cried out in agony as he dropped to his knees.

"That's no way to treat royalty, brigand." Walter's voice sent chills down the brigand's spine. The criminal managed to look up to see Walter standing above him, several luminescent wires revolving around the butler. "Now hold still while I gut you."

The butler swiped his hand and ended the poor man's life without a second thought. "Such criminals are best dealt with immediately." Walter turned his attention to the young man cowering behind Chrom. "I apologize for subjecting you to that poor man's demise, young man. May you divulge your troubles to us?"

"Y-yes sir!" The poor man stuttered. Unfortunately, the poor boy was so nervous that he kept stammering through his sentences. Walter placed a comforting hand on the poor boy's shoulder.

"Calm yourself, lad. Why don't you tell us your name first?"

The young man nodded and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Donny, er I mean Donnel, sir. I live in a nearby village sir."

Walter gave Donnel a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Donnel. My name is Walter Dornez, retainer to the Ylissean royal family. Now that we've been introduced, can you tell Chrom and I what has happened?"

"Yes, of course sirs." Donnel replied, being much more comfortable then before. "The village that I call home's been attacked good sirs! You see sirs, them bandits were gatherin' up the folks of my village and haulin' 'em off to their camp. I'm the only one of 'em that got away, even then just barely!" The poor boy began to tremble as he continued. "My ma's one of them that was taken, sirs! I-I'm beg-beggin you! Please save them folks! They're good peoples, they don't deserve this!"

Walter exchanged looks with Chrom. "It seems that action once again calls to us, sir." Walter smirked. "Perhaps a bit of discretion shall suit this one; I shall take a small team of Shepherds to the bandit camp and free the villagers."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that is a wise decision, Walter? The seal-"

"The seal is of no consequence, sir." Walter cut Chrom off. "Leave this to me. I promise you that not a single brigand will survive my attack."

Chrom was silent for a moment, probably contemplating Walter's request. Eventually the Ylissean prince bowed his head in defeat.

"Allow me to gather a few of my allies and we shall proceed to the brigand camp." Walter moved back to the camp to gather those that he felt was best suited for the mission.

* * *

 **East of the Northroad~ The Farfort  
** **August 18 (6:25 P.M)**

The Shepherds, consisting of Walter, Kellam, Lon'qu, Virion, Sully, Miriel, and Stahl, marched east of the Northroad, following Donnel to the fort where the Brigands had set up their camp. When the group reached the fort, they immediately made their way to the top of a hill that gave Walter a good view of the camp.

Walter made sure to analyze each and every single one of the bandits present. "It seems that all of the bandits are axe wielders, with a couple of thieves and archers thrown into the mix." The butler spotted a single area free of enemies in the southeast corner of the fort. "We'll start our attack in the southeast corner. From there we split up into two teams. Virion, Miriel, and I shall move north of where we shall start while Lon'qu, Sully, and Stahl shall move west into fort and take out the bandits there."

"What about me, please tell me you didn't forget about me." Kellam suddenly chimed in, scaring everyone present.

"Of course I didn't forget about you, Kellam." Walter pointed to where the villagers were trapped. "You shall infiltrate the fort while the rest of us distract the brigands. For once, you should be glad that you're hard to notice. Freeing those people is imperative, as it is likely that the brigands will use their hostages to ensure survival if need be. If we free the hostages, the brigands lose the one bargaining card at their disposal."

As Donnel watched the group formulate their plan of attack, a part of the village boy yearned to help. He'd always dreamed of a life beyond the menial labor that came with working on a farm, but whenever he had brought it up with anyone he was met with laughter.  
 _I can't let them naysayers get to me, I wanna help out in any way I can!_ Donnel puffed his chest and approached the Shepherds. "I wanna help y'all out."

Walter was taken aback by Donnel's request. "You wish to join us in the battle?"

Donnel nodded, albeit with some hesitation. "I mean, I ain't ever been in battle before. I ain't even had the guts to stuck a pig. That don't matter though." The farm boy spoke with vigor. "I wanna help y'all out, that's all that matters."

Walter stared at Donnel for awhile.  
 _That youthful energy, good heavens is the boy eager to help. All warriors have to start somewhere, and perhaps this is Donnel's start. I can see potential, potential that you hardly see in a farm boy, hell you hardly see it in anyone. It would be a waste if I didn't let him help._

"Sully, hand him your extra bronze lance." Walter finally spoke up.

"Really?" Sully's jaw dropped. "It's your call boss, but I can't say I agree with your judgement." The red-haired cavalier tossed her lance at the farm boy. Poor Donnel barely caught the the thing, but he was quick to compose himself.

"Donnel, you stick by my side for the battle, understand?" Walter spoke as he corrected the boy's posture and showed him how to properly hold the lance.

"Aye aye boss!"

Several minutes later, the Shepherds were in position and ready to attack.

"Hey Ruffles," Sully moved behind Virion and lightly punched his arm. "You stay alive, 'kay? I still have to beat the crap outta you for shadowing me all the time!"

Virion shot her his usual "dashing" grin. "I am deeply flattered by your concern, my dear Sully. Even if it is simply because you wish to beat me, your concern is greatly appreciated but unneeded! I for one think that you should worry for yourself, as no dashing rogue shall be there to protect you from those uncouth barbarians!"

Sully scowled, "As if I'd need some pompous airhead watching my back! I'd sooner go to battle with a wet nurse AND her kid before I do battle with you by my side!"

"Is that out of concern that I'd hurt myself, my dearest Sully?" Virion replied in a smooth tone that would've made many woman fall head-over-heels for him.

When the two finally managed to stop bickering, the two groups mobilized as they had planned. Walter, Donnel, Miriel and Virion moved north while Stahl, Sully and, Lon'qu moved into the fort. Kellam, meanwhile, waited for the two main groups to gain the needed attention before moving.

Walter and Donnel moved through the trees, Virion and Miriel slowly tagging behind them.

"Beggin yer pardon, Mr. Walter, but are you sure this is gonna work?" Donnel asked as they moved toward a small group of ruffians. "What if somethin' goes wrong, sir?"

Walter pulled several wires out from within his gloves and let them surround him. "Well, I'm not the best tactician in the world, so it's likely that the plan will indeed fail. If it does, we simply improvise from there and hope for the best."

Donnel swallowed as he clutched his lance tightly. Without warning, the duo charged an unsuspecting brigand. Walter was quick with his wires, managing to nick the ruffian slightly. It dealt no real lasting damage though. Donnel, surprisingly, charged towards the surprised brigand and jabbed him with his lance. It seemed to only scratch him, as the jab didn't have much power behind it. Donnel froze up as the brigand recovered from the onslaught and lifted his axe over his head. Thankfully before the brigand could slam it into the farm boy's skull, an arrow embedded itself into his chest. The man fell to the ground, killed by the arrow.

"Another example of my incredible handiwork." Virion poked his head out from the bushes he was hiding in. "Have no fear, my boy! Virion, the archest of archers is here to protect you!"

Donnel laughed slightly at the nobleman's boastfulness.

"No time to celebrate, we've most certainly caught their attention." Walter spoke up as two more brigands moved towards them. One attempted to cleave Walter in half with his sword, but found himself cleaving air instead. The other pulled out a bow and fired an arrow at Virion. The arrow nicked the nobleman, but fortunately it did no real damage. Before the brigand could fire another arrow, the criminal archer suddenly found himself being pelted by fire.

"Such ignorant behemoths obviously lacked the foresight to assume that another enemy was waiting for an opportune moment to attack." Miriel suddenly dropped down from one of the many trees and eliminated the brigand with ease. "That lack of foresight is your downfall, brigand."

The final brigand attempted to escape, only to find himself being bisected by some seemingly invisible force. The last thing the brigand saw of the world was the silhouette of an aged man whose monocle shimmered in the moonlight.

"That's the last one in this area, let's move into the fort." Walter ordered. The three followed him without question.

Meanwhile, Stahl, Sully, and Lon'qu were cutting down brigands left and right. Lon'qu was proving himself to be quite the skilled ally. His swordplay could only be described as a flurry of disciplined slashes and stabs. Each slash had a purpose, despite the appearance of wild swinging, and each stab would always hit it's mark. It really begged the question of how exactly did Marth best Lon'qu.

"Been awhile since we fought side-by-side, right Sully?" Stahl commented as he parried an axe strike aimed for his head.

"Well that's simply because I don't work with wimps!" Sully aggressively ran her lance through a brigands chest. "I plan on rivaling the legendary knights of the hero king, Marth! I don't need some half-assed cavalier holding me back!"

Stahl sidestepped an incoming arrow before resuming the conversation. "So that means you DO think that Virion is a good archer." The mud-haired cavalier grinned.

"Hell no!" Sully charged towards the archer that was firing arrows at Stahl. "As I told Ruffles earlier, I'd sooner fight alongside a wet nurse and her kid!" The redhead drove her lance into the poor archer's abdomen, ending the poor man's life.

"So why do you keep fighting alongside him?" Stahl retorted. "Even when Walter doesn't specifically pair you with him in battle, you seem to always be fighting with him by your side."

Sully gritted her teeth in frustration. "That's because the idiot can't take a hint and keeps following me around!"

"Well…" Stahl's grin widened. "...you don't seem to ever complain about it on the battlefield."

At this point, Sully was far to exasperated to argue and simply moved onto the next section of the fort.

The other group of Shepherds had moved into the fort and began to dispatch the brigands on their end. Donnel, for the most part, was sticking by Walter's side and killing whatever brigands had managed to survive the Angel of Death. The young farm boy was amazed by how graceful the butler was, how quickly he was moving from one foe to another.

Unfortunately, Donnel was getting far too caught up at the sight of Walter doing battle that he failed to notice an archer taking aim at him. Before the farm boy knew it, he was pushed to the ground by Virion, who was struck in the shoulder by the arrow meant for Donnel.

"Oh sweet merciful heavens, I'm so sorry mister!" Donnel apologized profusely as he went to help Virion up. "I should've been payin' more attention and all that!"

Virion shot him his signature grin, albeit with a bit of pain. "Do not worry about me, young Donnel. I told you, I Virion, the Archest of Archers, is here to protect you! Just focus on defeating these uncouth brigands."

Donnel nodded as he moved to attack one of the many brigands in the room. Surprisingly, he was beginning to get the hang of using the lance. He may not have been as good as the Shepherds helping him out at the moment, but he was making progress.

It wasn't long before they finally met up with Stahl, Sully, and Lon'qu, the latter of which was easily keeping pace with up to four brigands. "I guess that goes to show you that the West-Khan, Basilio, wasn't kidding when he said that Lon'qu was Khan material." Walter commented as he watched the swordsman do battle.

"No kidding, he barely needed our help." Stahl added.

"Not like we needed his help either, we could've taken these brigands on blindfolded." Sully twirled her lance around. When the redhead caught sight of Virion's injury, she suddenly looked several times angrier than usual. "What the hell, Ruffles!? I thought I told you to come back unharmed!?"

Virion shrugged, obviously unperturbed by his wound or Sully's wrath. "I see that I have you worried for my well being, dearest Sully. A sign that you have indeed fallen into a deep love with me."

Walter found himself amused by Virion's antics. _Injured or uninjured, the man still finds time to flirt with the most attractive woman within one hundred feet._

"If you lot are quite done, I believe we have a brigand leader to deal with." Walter placed his hands behind his back. "As a matter of fact, I wish to deal with this impotent criminal myself."

The Shepherds knew better than to argue with the butler and nodded in approval. It wasn't like this brigand would stand a chance against Walter anyway.

"Wait, I wanna fight 'im too!" Donnel spoke up suddenly."This is the man that done killed my pa, I gotta make sure that he gets what's comin' to 'im!"

Walter smirked. "Such an impressive spirit you've got, young man. Who am I to argue with that?" The butler beckoned Donnel to follow him. The cooking pot wearing farm boy happily obliged and began to follow Walter closely.

The two traveled a fair bit into the fort before they finally reached a main hub like area.

 _ **(**_ _ **Play Song~**_ _ **One Million Bullets [Hellsing Ultimate OST])**_

"So you're them castle whelps that 'ave been killin my men!" An irritating voice rang out from the other side of the room. The source was a man that was obviously the leader of this particular band of brigands. "An old man and a little piglet, can't says I'm impressed by youse." The brigand lifted his axe up and rested it on his shoulder. "Time ol' Roddick shows you how we wild-born men do battle!"

Roddick charged at the duo, obviously unaware of the fact that the old man that he was fiercely underestimating was far more fearsome than anyone he had ever encountered.

Walter smiled as he lifted his hand, causing his wires to cut several deep gashes into Roddick's arms and legs. The poor brigand tripped and rolled across the ground, a bloody mess forming as a result of the many gashes formed on his body.

"How…. how the hell…?" Roddick writhed in agony. The brigand stared up at the butler, who was surrounded by several strands of monofilament wire. "You… you're him…" His eyes widened in horror. "You're the man! You're that man that… that I heard about!"

Walter raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" the butler took a step toward the criminal. "You've heard of me?"

"Get.. get away from me!" Roddick was quaking with fear. "Fear the man, the aged man that serves the Shepherds! I thought youse … youse was just a story! They say that… that you've killed countless brigands!"

A tinge of sadistic joy rippled through Walter as he stared at the pathetic man before him. He was so tempted to subject the man to a pain far worse than death, but Walter knew that Donnel wanted to be the one that ended the brigand.

"Count your blessings, brigand." Walter spat. "I am not the one who will be judging you today." Walter turned his back to call Donnel over.

Roddick suddenly leaped to his feet and lifted his axe over his head, "Youse should 'ave killed me when youse had the chance!" he cackled as he brought the axe down upon the butler.

In a move that surprised everyone present, Donnel suddenly moved between Walter and Roddick and intercepted the attack with his lance. The farm boy's buckled for a second from the force of the attack, but somehow he still managed to keep the axe at bay.

 _ **(End music here)**_

"What!?" Roddick gritted his teeth as he attempted push the axe forward, and into Donnel's skull to no avail.

Donnel glared daggers at the man that murdered his father. "You remember me, don't you?" he asked.

It took Roddick a moment, as his mind was far too focused on pushing the axe into the kid's skull. When he did manage to focus, he instantly recognized the farm boy before him.

"Youse is the kid of that fool that I killed." He realized that perhaps it was better to have been at the mercy of the old butler rather than the vengeful young man.

"Yeah, you killed my pa." Donnel's hand gripped his lance tightly. "Yer the bastard that done did it!" Donnel suddenly moved out of the way, causing Roddick to fall forward due to the amount of weight he was putting into pushing his axe into Donnel. As Roddick struggled to keep his footing, Donnel shoved his lance straight through the man's back. The lance skewered Roddick, going through his back and out his chest. The man let out a few pained breaths in agony before his eyes rolled back and his body went limp.

Walter, for the most part, had stayed back to watch the brief exchange between the two. He found himself impressed by Donnel, as most men wouldn't have been clever enough to have used their own opponent's momentum to their advantage.  
 _He's actually not that bad. With the right training, Donnel could become an excellent warrior._ Walter mused. _Perhaps, the boy, if he were to join the Shepherds, could flourish. It would be a waste if he were left without a chance to ever hone his skills._

 _ **(**_ _ **Play Song~**_ _ **"It appears the capital was spared the chaos" [Fire Emblem Awakening OST])**_

Donnel stared down at the man he had killed, the man that had killed his father, with a mixture of anger and pity.

"You seem troubled, young Donnel." Walter stepped beside the farm boy, not at all perturbed by the sight of Roddick's dead corpse.

Donnel shock his head, his eyes never leaving Roddick's corpse. "It's just that…" he struggled to find the words to describe how he was feeling. "I just realized that I killed a few men today. I was taught by my pa that all life is sacred, even the worst people don't deserve to die."

Walter placed a comforting hand on Donnel's shoulder. "Perhaps you're right, I guess I've killed so many times that I forgot what it was like to be in your shoes; the guilt that accompanies the first kill is difficult to handle." Walter continued to stare at the corpse, not an ounce of pity for the dead brigand present in his steely eyes. "Just remember, Donnel, that pity you feel for those that you kill is a sign that you aren't like this man. This man, Roddick I believe his name was, killed without even a hint of remorse. The men that accompanied him were the same, no pity in their eyes. Remorse is what separates you from these men, it's what keeps you from becoming a monster."

Donnel let Walter's words sink in. "Do you feel remorse for those you kill, sir?"

Walter was silent, unable to utter the truth out loud. "Let's go, Donnel." he dodged the question. "The others have probably freed your village by now."

Donnel nodded as he finally pried his eyes away from the ghastly sight and followed Walter out of the room.

 _ **(End music here)**_

* * *

 **East of the Northroad~ The Farfort  
** **August 18 (7:05 P.M)**

Kellam performed his duty flawlessly, going through the fort unnoticed by all brigands. The freed villagers were grateful that the tall knight had saved them, with some even offering payment. Kellam, of course, politely declined.

"Well done, Kellam." Walter approached the knight and patted him on the back. "You performed your duty perfectly, just as I expected you would."

Kellam grinned sheepishly, "Thanks for having so much faith in me, Walter."

As the butler and the knight engaged in a friendly conversation, Virion stood a good distance away flirting with a few enamored maidens.

"-and that's how I, Virion the Archest of Archers, single handedly eliminated several brigands with a single arrow!" Virion grinned as the maidens began to fangirl over the handsome noble. "Alas, I did not come out unscathed, for even a lion amongst tigers is injured once every blue moon!" the archer placed his hand over the shoulder that was struck by an arrow. "An enemy archer thought it best to attack one of my comrades while their back was turned! I, with my eagle-like vision, saw the attack about to hit my ally, and gallantly took the would have been fatal blow!"

"What do you know, the coward can be brave once in awhile…" Sully suddenly spoke up.

"Ah, dearest Sully." the archer, with his usual swagger, left the village maidens and went to Sully. "Has my gallant retelling of how I received my wound caused you give to in to your most primal desire for-"

"Hell no, you bib wearing pissant!" Sully slapped the archer across the face. "I'd sooner marry the village hobo rather then fall for you!"

Virion rubbed his cheek, but maintained his game face. "Ah, but that makes you all the more attractive to my eye. I dare say, your fiery spirit threatens to set me ablaze!"

Sully pinched her the bridge of her nose. "This'll be the last time I ever care to check on his well-being…" she muttered under her breath.

"Did I hear that right, dearest?" Virion had never looked as smug as he did now.

Sully began to curse under her breath as she quickly retreated away from the noble man.

Meanwhile, Donnel was reuniting with his mother, telling her about how he fought alongside the Shepherds to save the everyone.

"Thank goodness you're safe." his mother held him a warm embrace. "I'm proud of you, boy!"

"You have reason to ma'am." Walter suddenly chimed in. "Your son is a very brave young man, and I dare say that he has bravery beyond his years."

Donnel grinned sheepishly at the compliment. "Ma, this is Mr. Walter Dornez, the butler to the Halidom. He's the one that done led the rescue mission."

Donnel's mother immediately bowed her head. "I can't thank you enough, good sir! You've done a great kindness for us village folk."

The butler shook his head. "No ma'am, it was nothing at all. Besides, Donnel is the one you should be thanking." Walter smiled. "Your son practically led the charge into battle. He was surprisingly skilled for someone with as little training as him, something I wish to discuss with you madam."

Donnel and his mother grew interested in what the butler had to say.

"In this time of instability, Ylisse finds itself on the brink of war. We need good men, like your son, in our ranks. As part of the Shepherds, your son will be able to hone his skills and become a mighty warrior, the kind that this country needs enmasse." Walter held his hand out for Donnel to take. "So will you allow your son to join us? I promise you that, on my life, I will protect him."

Donnel's mother seemed to think for a second before she turned to her son. "Oh, you're a grown man now, my boy. You always said that you wanted to be something greater than a farmhand, something that you was made fun of. Now's your chance to be a hero." she began to tear up. "Go be that hero you always dreamed of becomin', boy. Your ma will make sure the village will be standing by the time you return."

Donnel smiled, embracing his mother. "I'll be sure to fight for all y'all, even for pa too."

An hour later, the mother and son said their goodbyes to each other before the Shepherds departed, with one more Shepherd within their ranks then they had arrived with.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes**_

 _ **Donnel has joined the party! I'm happy to finally get the first paralogue out of the way, but I am not locking forward to writing these damned things.**_

 _ **You know why?**_

 _ **Because figuring out where to put the paralogues is a pain! In-game, the damned paralogues seem to pop up whenever they like to, even if it makes no complete sense!**_

 _ **Fighting a war on a completely different continent? *cough* Valm *cough* Why don't we head back to Ylisse for no reason and deal with this one thing.**_

 _ **In order to make the timing of the paralogues fit, I'm not taking their location on the in-game map into account. It'll be too much of a pain to deal with, especially when we get to the second half of the game when certain characters start getting introduced. Meh, a lot of you probably know the ones I'm talking about, since I'm assuming you guys played through the game at least once. If you haven't, go play the game!**_

 _ **...or at least look at a brief summary of the game's events if you don't want to.**_

 _ **If you don't plan on either, you'll find out which characters I'm talking about in the future.**_

 _ **Now for the behind the keyboard stuff!**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **I am tired as all hell  
**_ _ **When I finally had the drive to start writing this story again, it was 9 P.M. I had the glorious idea of spending the entire night writing this chapter, because I was so eager to get it done.**_

 _ **End result is I am still recovering from the all nighter. Not to mention the little mistakes I ended up making as a result of drowsiness.**_

 _ **Doesn't help that I did the same with the following chapter's I've written so far.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Kellam lost prominence (what a surprise...)**_

 _ **I tried, I honestly tried, to write a stealth section involving Kellam! Several times in fact, and I'll tell you why each attempt failed**_

 _ **Attempt #1 - The section was too bland**_

 _ **Attempt #2 - The section became too long**_

 _ **Attempt #3 - The section became too short**_

 _ **Attempt #4 - It didn't fit well with the rest of the battle**_

 _ **Attempt #5 - It screwed with the pacing**_

 _ **Attempt #6 - I ran out of ideas**_

 _ **The result of 6 failed attempts to get the section right resulted in me rage quiting. This is funny, because the last time I attempted to write this paralogue, as detailed in the behind the keyboard section of the chapter "Two Falchions? The Identity of Marth!", I encountered the same problem and ended up postponing the chapter until I could write it.**_

 _ **Well, at least Kellam wasn't forgotten...**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Didn't you want Sumia in this chapter?**_

 _ **In the behind the keyboard section of the chapter "Two Falchions? The Identity of Marth!", I commented that Sumia was going to participate in this chapter's battle.**_

 _ **Nope, Lon'qu took her place...**_

* * *

 _ **If you like the story so far, why not favorite it?**_

 _ **If you want to be notified whenever I update the story, go ahead and follow!**_

 _ **Hell, if you want to be notified as to when I post anything, whether it be a new chapter or new story, go ahead and follow me (not literally of course, cause that's stalking)  
**_

 _ **Review if you wanna comment!**_

* * *

 _ **Next time on Walter Dornez of the Emblem!**_

 _ **Chapter 10: The Exalt and the Mad King**_


	11. The Exalt and The Mad King

_**DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

 _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**_

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 **BOLD= DATES, PLACES, ECT.**

 _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**_ **  
** _ **  
(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**_

 _ **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**_

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ The Royal Palace  
** **August 19 (1:20 P.M.)**

"Then Regna Ferox will support Ylisse?"

"That is correct, your grace."

"Then you have done an excellent job, thanks to you both: Chrom and Walter."

As soon as dawn arrived, the Shepherds were already back on the Northroad and heading back to Ylisstol. Chrom was eager to bring Emmeryn the news of the alliance between Regna Ferox and Ylisse. Naturally, Exalt Emmeryn was pleased to hear that all had gone well.

"I knew that sending the two of you would be the right choice." Emmeryn smiled at the duo.

Chrom scratched the back of his head. "You should see Ferox's warriors! Perhaps now our people will be safe from-"

Chrom was interrupted by the sound of the doors being slammed open. Walter and Chrom turned to see Phila hurriedly moving towards them. From the look on her face, she most certainly had bad news.

"Your grace! Milord!" Phila bowed to both Chrom and Emmeryn. "Forgive me for my intrusion, but I bring alarming news!"

"Please, calm yourself." Walter spoke up. He knew what it was like acting as the bearer of bad news, so he knew just how pressured the pegasus knight was feeling. "What's happened?"

Phila took a deep breath before replying, "Plegian soldiers have been sighted inside our southwestern border! They attacked a village in Themis and abducted the Duke's daughter!"

Lissa, who had been standing off to the side while Chrom, Emmeryn, and Walter discussed the alliance, covered her mouth in horror. "B-but that would be Maribelle!" Lissa's eyes were as wide as dish plates. "Chrom, we have to do something!"

"Please wait, my lieges." Phila stopped the duo from leaving, "The ruler of Plegia: King Gangrel has claimed that it was Lady Maribelle that invaded his country. He demands that we pay ransom for this "insult"."

Walter raised his hand to his chin, "Obviously, this King Gangrel wishes to use this opportunity to provoke a war between Plegia and Ylisse."

"Then perhaps we should give him what he wishes!" Chrom slammed his fist into the wall. "The Mad King, Gangrel, has been attempting to start a war with us for years now! The mad man won't stop until he's dragged the entire continent to hell with him!"

"I understand your feelings, Chrom, I truly do, but if we give him the war he wants, then we lose." Emmeryn spoke with a wisdom beyond her years. "The last conflict we had with Plegia nearly ruined the halidom. We cannot afford to make that mistake yet again." The Exalt stood up from her throne. "I shall attempt to negotiate a parley with King Gangrel."

Chrom, Lissa, and Phila stared at Emmeryn as if she'd grown a second head.

"Emm, no! You can't!" Lissa protested.

Phila reacted in the same manner. "Please reconsider, your grace! He cannot be trusted to act in good faith!"

Emmeryn looked between her siblings and Phila several times before turning her gaze towards Walter, who had been silent on the matter. "What is your opinion on the matter, Walter? Surely a man of your age has an idea of how we can deal with King Gangrel."

The aged butler stroked his chin in deep thought. "I agree with your approach to the situation, Lady Emmeryn. As it is, negotiation is our best option." The butler turned to Chrom. "I understand your animosity towards the country, Chrom, but we can't afford to act reckless. Why start a war that we can't afford to fight?" Walter then turned back to Emmeryn. "As a precaution however, I urge you to allow the Shepherds to accompany you on this trip, milady."

Emmeryn nodded in agreement, "Very well, I shall be accompanied by the Pegasus Knights, as well as the Shepherds." The Exalt left, accompanied by Phila, in order to prepare for the long march to the Plegian border. Chrom and Lissa silently thanked Walter for convincing Emmeryn to allow them to accompany her before heading to the Shepherd's Garrison.

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ The Shepherd's Garrison  
** **August 19 (2:45 P.M)**

 _ **(recommended music: "…." [from the Fire Emblem Awakening OST])**_

"It seems like we hardly ever catch a break, Walter." Chrom slumped down at a table and rested his head on it's surface.

"Well these are difficult times we live in, sir. Just one month serving you lot and I see more action then I ever did in a single year under my last master's service." Walter sat beside the Ylissean prince. "Perhaps that's simply because I had retired from my active duty in order to focus more on my domestic duties. Either way, this has been quite the experience thus far."

Chrom let out a half-hearted laugh, "An exhausting experience if I had to describe it. With the threat of war on the horizon, not to mention the Risen attacks, Ylisse's forces find themselves stretched thin." He locked his fingers together and rested his chin atop them. "I'm glad you joined when you did. Without your aid it's likely the Shepherds would've fallen in the recent month."

A comforting smile formed on the butler's face, "I can't take all the credit, sir. Don't forget, at the end of the day, I am only your butler. I'm not the one in charge, all I do is make suggestions, sir. It is you the others look to for guidance."

"It's you who I look to for guidance." Chrom retorted. "Sometimes I can't help but feel I'm unfit to lead the Shepherds. I've made mistakes that have nearly cost us lives. Think about when we confronted Raimi; you took a devastating blow meant for me. If I had been more wary, that might not have happened."

A sigh came out of Walter's mouth as he listened to Chrom. "You cannot blame yourself for that, I took the blow knowing that I could take it. I shielded you of my own accord, Chrom."

"But what if it was someone else that took the blow for me?" Chrom slammed his fist into the table. "What if it was Lissa? Sumia? Frederick? Any one of them would've probably been killed by that attack!"

The butler was silent for a few seconds before he stood up and looked down at the blue-haired prince. "Look at me, Chrom..." the butler waited for Chrom to face him. "Every great leader in history had to have started somewhere. Sometimes the greatest of humankind are born as a result of struggle and loss. The worst of humankind can also be born as a result of struggle and loss. What makes a person great is not the strength of their body or a lack of mistakes, but rather their ability to cope with their mistakes. The ability to not give into the negativity and to move forward instead of backwards. When you make a mistake, or suffer a loss of some kind, you take the pain you feel and promise yourself that you will never again make the mistake. That's what makes a leader, Chrom. You never give up, no matter how lost you may feel, and you never abandon your principles." Walter placed his hands on Chrom's shoulders. "What are your principles, what is it that you fight for?"

Chrom took a moment to think before responding, "I fight for my loved ones; I fight to become strong enough to not only protect them but the whole of Ylisse as well."

"An admirable response, and one that you need to keep fighting for." Walter continued, "Stick to that and I assure you that you'll achieve it one day."

The leader of the Shepherds dwelled on the advice for awhile before taking it to heart. "Thank you, Walter. I needed some wisdom."

"Anytime, milord. I am here to serve you in just about anyway I can." The butler moved toward the exit of the cafeteria.

"I have a question, Walter." Chrom stopped the butler before he could leave.

"What's your question, sir?" Walter turned back to face Chrom.

"Have you ever given up your principles before?"

The Ylissean prince's question froze Walter on the spot. The former Hellsing butler swallowed as the memory of his betrayal came to mind. The devastation in Integra's eyes as he cut all ties and proclaimed himself the Angel of Death. He threw all the blessings he had in life in order to fulfill his dream of being remembered as the man that had killed Alucard, a dream that he failed to accomplish in the end. In the end, his death would've been his way of atoning for his sin.

"Once…" The butler replied, sadness lacing his tone.

Chrom gave Walter a look of slight curiosity, "What happened?"

Walter raised his hand, removing his glove to showcase the seal that was possibly going to kill him if he continued to refuse to release it.

"A monster was born."

 _ **(Song end here)**_

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ The Shepherds Garrison  
** **August 19 (3:00 P.M.)**

After finally gathering all the needed supplies, the Shepherds accompanying Lady Emmeryn had gathered outside the Garrison and were ready to march west.

"Well then!" Chrom faced his men. "Is everybody ready to go? It's a long march through the western mountains to the Plegian border."

"Captain!"

All eyes turned to the young mage named Ricken. Ricken ran towards the group, tome in hand, with an eager look on his face.

"I'm all packed! When do we leave?!" the young mage was practically bouncing off the walls in his excitement.

Chrom shook his head in disapproval, "Ricken, how did you…" The prince pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go back inside, you're not old enough for this mission."

"But captain, you know how skilled I am with magic! I'm more than capable of-" Ricken was cut off as he was suddenly lifted off his feet by the back of his shirt.

"This is not any ordinary mission, young man." Walter easily lifted Ricken off the ground. "If the negotiations do indeed fail, we'll be forced into a confrontation. The battlefield is no place for a boy." Walter dropped Ricken back onto the ground. "Besides, you're needed here. After all, someone needs to be here to defend Ylisstol in case of attack."

The Shepherds proceeded to leave the Garrison, leaving behind a less then enthused Ricken.

"How dare they treat me like a child, I am old enough to defend myself!" Ricken gripped his tome tightly. "I'll show them just how good I can be!"

* * *

 **West of Ylisstol ~ The Border Pass  
** **August 20 (6:22 P.M.)**

 _ **(recommended** **music:** **"That's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one!"** **[from the Fire Emblem Awakening OST])**_

As the days march to the border came to an end, the Shepherds formed up behind Exalt Emmeryn as they neared the border. As they approached, two figures could be spotted in the distance. As they neared the duo, Walter was able to distinguish several features about them. One was a scantily clad woman with silvery hair that reached past her shoulders. The other was a man with fiery red hair and a chin beard. He wore regal clothing colored black, white, and gold. The man had a unhinged look to him, leading Walter to assume that he was the Mad King Gangrel that Emmeryn and Chrom had talked about.

"What's this, then?" Gangrel placed his hands on his hips and stared down at Emmeryn from atop the boulder he was standing on. "The exalt herself, in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes!" The Mad King erupted in crazed laughter.

Walter was surprised that there was no hint of fear in Emmeryn's eyes. The Exalt boldly stood before Gangrel, looking just as composed as she was inside the walls of her own palace.

"King Gangrel," she spoke calmly, probably attempting to be as civil as possible to the ruler of Plegia. "I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us."

"The truth?" this time the silver-haired woman spoke up. "I can give you the truth."

Emmeryn turned her attention to the woman, "I beg your pardon, might milady first introduce herself?"

The woman performed a mock bow, "You may call me Aversa." The tone of her voice was seductive, but it carried a malice and venom in it as well.

Emmeryn maintained her calm demeanor as she conversed with the duo. "Very well, Aversa. I take it that Maribelle is unharmed?"

Gangrel raised an eyebrow, his amber eyes boring into the Exalt. "Who?" the mad man stroked his beard for a second. "Oh yes!" he snapped as he realized who Emmeryn was talking about. "The little blonde brat."

Gangrel snapped his fingers. As if on cue, a Plegian on the cliff above pushed Maribelle into view, and close to the edge of the cliff as a result.

"Unhand me, you gutter-born troglodyte!" Maribelle struggled with her bound hands as she was roughly kept at the cliffs edge.

"Maribelle!" Lissa stared at her friend's plight in fear.

"Lissa?" Maribelle looked down the cliff to see the group of Shepherds below. "Darling, is that you?"

Attention turned back to Gangrel and Aversa. "This girl crossed the Plegian border without our consent." Aversa stated with a sadistic grin on her face. "And what's more, she wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought to only escort her safely home." the woman spoke with feigned sympathy.

"Lies!" Maribelle shouted in fury. "You speak nothing but lies, hag! Did they not teach the meaning of the word "truth" in wretched-crone school?!"

Aversa seemed amused by the insult and let out a sick giggle. "You see?" she pouted, "No manners at all. Such a nasty little bird simply had to be caged."

Walter sensed a spike of anger behind him as Lissa and Chrom were practically trembling with fury. The butler turned his head slightly and mouthed "breathe" to the two. Thankfully, the two siblings managed to contain their fury.

"Such a violent temper speaks to her guilt!" Gangrel spoke up once more. "This will call for a weighty punishment." Gangrel's face changed into one of mock sympathy. "If she were to later confess to being an Ylissean spy? My goodness!" he placed his hand over his mouth, feigning shock. "It would take an act of considerable good faith to repair our relations!" a twisted smile formed on Gangrel's face.

"I have done nothing wrong!" Maribelle stamped her feet. "It is they who should confess! They are the ones who invaded Ylisse. They razed an entire village!" The noble daughter pointed her bound hands at Gangrel and Aversa. "When I attempted to intervene, they took me and dragged me across the border! Let the plundered shops and charred homes of that village serve as my proof!"

Gangrel's face puckered, "Lass, that would only prove that Ylisse has a bandit problem, something I hear oft of late. Indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."

"Your grace, please!" Maribelle begged.

Emmeryn raised her hand and silenced Maribelle. "Peace, Maribelle." she spoke in her usual soothing tone. "I believe you." The Exalt turned her attention back to Gangrel. "King Gangrel, I request that you release this woman at once. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need for hostages."

Gangrel rolled his eyes, "Without so much as an apology, why should I bother with parley?" A ghastly grin formed on his face. "I'm within my rights to have her head this instant and be home for supper."

Chrom was about to speak up, but Walter cut him off. "Can we perhaps be reasonable, King Gangrel?"

Gangrel and Aversa both raised an eyebrow as Walter stepped in front of Emmeryn. "Who is the old fellow?" Gangrel questioned. "I say he looks like he'd be more in place if he were ten feet underground with a tombstone over him!" The Mad King laughed.

Walter smirked, easily ignoring the snide remark. "My name is Walter Dornez, butler to the Halidom of Ylisse."

Aversa's eyes widened in shock, "Walter Dornez you say? That's a name that I've heard many times as of this past month." Aversa leaned forward in order to get a better look at the aged butler. "Yes, there have been reports of an old man who serves in the Shepherds. Those that survive an encounter with him describe him as a monster on the battlefield."

Walter bowed his head slightly, "It's good to know that I have such a good reputation." Walter grinned, his smile being arguably more terrifying then any threat that either Aversa or Gangrel could muster. "My reputation, however, is not the subject of this meeting. We are here to take Lady Maribelle out of your "care" and return her safely to Ylisse."

Gangrel laughed, "Yes, so what about it?"

Walter placed his hands behind his back and resumed talking. "Perhaps there is something reasonable that you may want in exchange for Lady Maribelle's safety?"

Gangrel shifted his jaw in bemusement, "Yes that is true, butler. Perhaps I can return the brat if you were to trade her for something that I want."

"Name your price then." Walter stared into Gangrel's amber eyes.

The Mad King smiled, "My price is the Fire Emblem!" Emmeryn and the Shepherds turned pale at the request. "Give me the Fire Emblem, and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."

Before Walter could speak up, Emmeryn stepped forward. "You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? Why?"

"Because, your graciness…" the greed in Gangrel's eyes was practically visible. "I know the legend! The Fire Emblem is the key to having all one's wishes realized. I have desired it for years, years I say!" Gangrel slumped down, "Yet my birthday comes and goes each year, and nothing from Ylisse." he let out a sinister chuckle.

"Enough!" Emmeryn spoke with more force than Walter had ever seen her speak with. "The Emblem's power is meant for a single purpose, King Gangrel: to save the world and it's people at their hour of most desperate need. Would you claim a more noble wish?"

Gangrel finally seemed to lose his composure and began to cackle. "I want what every Plegian wants- a grisly end for every Ylissean!" he took a small breather to recompose himself before continuing. "What can be more noble than that?"

Emmeryn could only stare at Gangrel in stunned silence.

"Really?" Gangrel began to pace around the top of the boulder he stood on. "Surely you have not forgotten what the last exalt did to my people?" he pointed an accusing finger at Emmeryn. "Your father named us all heathens! He crusaded across Plegia and butchered countless of my subjects and kin!"

Emmeryn shifted uncomfortably under Gangrel's gaze. "I've never denied the wrongdoings Ylisse committed in the past, but I've sworn to never repeat these mistakes. Ylisse is a realm of peace now."

"Hypocrisy!" Gangrel bellowed in anger. "Ylisse is a haven for hypocrisy! Now I demand that you give me the Fire Emblem!"

"No!" Maribelle shouted from the cliff. " I refuse to serve as this reprobate's bargaining chip!"

"Enough!" Gangrel stamped his foot. "The time for talk has past, now is the time for action! I shall have the Emblem, even if I have to pry it out from your cold dead hands!" Gangrel motioned for his men to attack Emmeryn. The Plegians were more than happy to follow orders and blindly charged straight at the Shepherds.

 _ **(Song end here)**_

 _Twing!_

As if on cue, Walter's wires flared to life and cut down one of the Plegians. Another was swiftly cut down by Chrom. Chrom pointed his Falchion directly at Gangrel.

"Why don't you come down here and face us yourself instead of hiding behind your soldiers!" Chrom spat. "I'd be more than happy to gut you."

"That's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one!" Gangrel smiled. "This war will bleed you Ylisseans dry!" The Mad King began to retreat while Aversa made her way to where Maribelle was being held hostage.

Walter and Chrom immediately fell back to Emmeryn's side. "Lady Emmeryn, I suggest you fall back with the Pegasus Knights!" Walter deflected an arrow aimed for Emmeryn's head.

Emmeryn nodded in agreement.

"Miriel, Kellam, and Stahl,: you are to escort the Exalt away from the fight, am I clear!" Chrom sidestepped a hand axe flung straight at him.

The trio nodded and moved to escort the Exalt away from the battle. Walter began to get an overview of the terrain and quickly formulated a plan.

"Sumia, I want you to transport Chrom over the cliff in order to free Maribelle!" The butler turned to Sully and Virion. "The two of you are to climb the cliff as well in order to back Chrom and Sumia up."

Sully groaned, "Why do I always get stuck with-"

"No arguing!" Walter cut the redhead off, an act he possibly was going to regret in the future. The rest of us shall stay down here in order to prevent these Plegians from chasing after Lady Emmeryn!"

As soon as everyone had an idea of what role they had in the battle, they immediately moved out. Chrom was quick to join Sumia on her pegasus and the two flew up the cliff immediately. Much to their surprise, Maribelle was already free and was accompanied by-

"Ricken!?" Chrom's eyes widened in surprise as he dismounted the pegasus. "Your orders were to stay at the Garrison!"

"I told you, I can take care of myself!" Ricken stared up at his superior, determined to prove himself. "Besides, if I hadn't tagged along, Miss Maribelle would've been killed!"

Chrom was at a loss for words. "You know what, fine! You can help, but expect to face punishment for disobeying orders."

"Chrom, Plegians incoming!" Sumia moved to block a sword slash aimed for Chrom's back. The duo quickly eliminated the threat.

"Thanks, Sumia." Chrom shot the Pegasus rider a smile. Sumia was quick to return the smile, but frowned as she saw the large band of Plegians heading their way.

It wasn't long before Virion and Sully joined them, the former of which was sniping enemies from atop Sully's mount. Sully was busy driving her lance straight through her enemy's chest.

Down below, Walter and Lon'qu were completely eviscerating the Plegian forces. Any that managed to survive the duo were left swimming in a pool of their own blood.

"I'm impressed, I had thought that Basilio's boast of your strength was just that, a boast. Even now I find your skill with the blade to be unbelievable." Walter chuckled as he sidestepped the flux spell sent his way.

"Indeed…" Lon'qu said simply as he cut down the mage that had cast said flux spell.

Vaike was being surrounded, but the overconfident fool didn't seem to mind the challenge. He quickly began swinging his axe in all directions, though he took a hit here and there, he still managed to come out relatively unscathed.

"And that's why they call me 'Ol Teach!" The blonde boasted as he stood atop a pile of bodies,

Frederick was, as always, guarding Lissa. The blonde healer had taken the time to heal Vaike of whatever small injuries he had received while Frederick protected her.

"You die here, Plegian!" Frederick quickly cut down a Plegian who was making a beeline for Lissa. The youngest of the Exalted family gave him a warm smile as she thanked him for the save.

Walter and Lon'qu began to move up the cliffside in order to provide further backup for Chrom, as well as prevent anyone from coming down the mountain. The duo did their job well, killing or incapacitating any Plegian's that had escaped Chrom's eye.

"Sumia, retreat slightly, we're going to be surrounded if we don't!" Chrom hopped on Sumia's pegasus.

"Yes, captain!" the Pegasus Knight immediately took the skies and retreated from the mob of enemies forming.

"Sully, Virion!" Chrom shouted from atop Sumia's pegasus. "Cover Sumia and I while we recuperate!"

Sully saluted Chrom and proceeded to turn her horse towards the enemies. "Mind covering me, Ruffles?"

Virion was taken aback by the request. "My my, this is a surprise. Half the time you've been adamant about acting on your own. Has my lovely Sully finally realized how much of a dashing rogue I-"

"Hell no, Ruffles!" Sully smacked the back of Virion's head. "You haven't done anything yet to prove that you're as heroic as you say you are!"

Virion's smile faltered for a bit, causing Sully to chuckle at the poor man's plight. "Come on, Ruffles! Why don't you prove your heroism to me now by covering my back?"

The nobleman perked up and proceeded to aim his bow at the enemies in the distance. "Any you miss, I shall eliminate."

The red-haired cavalier scoffed, "That's only if I actually do miss one."

Meanwhile, Ricken was sitting out of the battle, as he was exhausted from fighting. Thankfully, he managed to clear out the general area around him, so he and Mirable were safe at the moment.

Ricken and Maribelle were taken off guard when Sumia suddenly landed her pegasus in front of them.

"How uncouth, could you not have bothered to land with some grace, dear Sumia?" Maribelle complained as the dust from the landing settled.

"Sorry, Maribelle." Sumia bowed slightly in conjunction with her apology. "Can you please heal the two of us up, we need to return to the battle as soon as possible."

Maribelle let out a sigh, "Ricken, make sure no one attempts to attack us." Maribelle commanded the young mage.

As soon as the two were healed up and ready to go, the duo returned to the battlefield with a renewed vigor.

"Is there no end to these scum?" Walter breathed heavily as he began to feel his stamina drain. "I can't keep using my wires like this, not even my weakest pair. Even my least taxing pair of gloves drains me of stamina, and I can't keep it up, not if I plan on staying my current age." the butler muttered under his breath as he despawned his wires and unsheathed the rapier he had at his hip. "I haven't use this in awhile…"

Walter leaped into the air and dashed at the closest Plegian near him.

"Watch out, captain!"

Chrom turned around just in time to see Sumia being struck by an axe. The amount of force put into the axe knocked Sumia off her Pegasus and onto the dirt below. She rolled across the ground for a bit before coming to a halt just before falling off the cliffs edge.

"That's one down!" The voice of a Plegian echoed from a few feet away. "I'll be surprised if the poor girl's still alive!"

Chrom gripped Falchion tightly in his hand, so tight that it was causing his knuckles to turn white. The Ylissean prince turned to face the man that had possibly killed Sumia. He was riding atop a fearsome looking wyvern, and from the look of the man he was the leader of this battalion.

"Gangrel will probably pay me a fortune for your head, princling!" the man lifted another axe into the sky. "I'll probably get a title too: Orton the prince slayer!"

Chrom charged at Orton without a second thought. The enraged lord jumped into the air and kicked Orton right off the back of his wyvern.

"So that's how you wanna play!?" Orton grabbed the sword of one of his fallen men and clashed swords with Chrom. Before he had a chance to push forward, Chrom kneed him in the gut. The Plegian wyvern rider recoiled, but managed to block Chrom's incoming sword swing. The force of the slash easily batted Orton's blade to the side, causing the man to stumble a bit. When he managed to recover, he found himself being pushed on the defensive. That's when Orton realized his mistake, every attack that Chrom had launched were launched with the intent to kill. This wasn't some random knight on the battlefield, this was Prince Chrom of Ylisse. Every attack launched had more power then the last, and it showed. Orton struggled to even keep his grip on his blade, let alone find the time to counterattack.

Chrom was on complete autopilot, he was launching every move he had at his disposal. Anger fueled each slash and stab, but the anger wasn't just aimed toward Orton, but himself. The prince cursed himself for dropping his guard. Right now, the man that he wished to take his fury out on was Orton.

Chrom slashed upward, causing Orton to begin to lose what little footing he had left. The prince used the momentum he gained from the upward slash to spin around and cut Orton's sword arm right off. The Plegian had no time to mourn the loss of his right arm, as Chrom used the momentum of the last spinning slash to perform another one, this time amputating the man's left arm. As a final attack, the prince performed one final spin, this one being horizontal, and lobbed Orton's head clean off.

The prince stared at the body with cold eyes as it crumpled to the ground, dead. The head rolled down the slope of the cliff, eventually rolling off the edge and into the abyss below. Chrom immediately ran to Sumia's side.

"Sumia!" Chrom knelt down and cradled Sumia in his arms.

The meek Pegasus knight let out a small groan, greatly relieving Chrom of his anxiety. Sumia' opened her eyes slowly to see Chrom staring down at her. "Wha!" Sumia immediately jumped out of his arms, her cheeks burning bright red. "Captain I- I…" she looked down at the ground. "I failed you…"

Chrom shook his head, "Don't talk like that, you did great." Chrom placed a finger under her chin and raised her head so that she was looking into his eyes. "You've improved a lot in the last month, you're far stronger then before."

Sumia was speechless. To be complemented by her captain, Prince Chrom himself, was like a dream come true. "Thank you." Sumia teared up, a warm smile on her face.

The battle was won soon after, as the last of the Plegian forces was eliminated with ease. Sumia's injuries were quickly seen to; the pegasus rider only suffered a few broken bones here and there, but it was nothing a few days with a healer couldn't fix. Maribelle was safe, thanks to the timely arrival of Ricken; who received praise from Chrom, in addition to kitchen duty for the next month.

It was an hour before the Chrom and the others regrouped with Emmeryn.

"Forgive me, Emm." Chrom lowered his head in shame. "Our actions today has ensured war shall erupt between Ylisse and Plegia."

Emmeryn shook her head in disagreement. "It is alright Chrom." she let out a sigh. "It is Gangrel that is at fault, he is the one that ordered his men to attack. You and Walter were only protecting me, to that I am grateful."

Walter stood with his hands behind his back, "Gangrel will likely be mobilizing his forces as of now." The butler clicked his teeth in irritation, "We must make haste and return to Ylisse and rally our forces there. As much as I hate to admit it milady, war is upon us."

Emmeryn nodded, "Yes, I concur. We must return to protect the people."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes**_

 _ **War? what is it good for?**_

 _ **Well, I'm not the Major so I can't tell you the answer.**_

 _ **Anyway, hello people of the interwebs! Happy to get this chapter out! I'm finally getting into the war against Plegia. Could I call this the beginning of an arc? Guess you could call the last few chapters the Introduction arc. Well, I'll call this "the Plegia Arc"! I'm so good at naming things! (No I am not...)**_

 ** _Okay, rambling done, writing time. So far the story has had a couple minute differences from the source material (Fire Emblem Awakening) and I've tried to stay faithful to the original timeline set by the game. Well, as faithful as you could get with someone like Walter Dornez as your main character._**

 ** _So far, the only major difference between the original story and this story is the fact that Lucina's identity was already compromised. Well, hope you're prepared to see a couple more big changes, because I've got several changes planned out. Of course, I'm not going to just completely diverge from the story; I'm just going to change an event here or there._**

 ** _Anyway, I don't have any behind the keyboard stuff this time around. Making this chapter was pretty straight forward._**

* * *

 _ **If you like the story so far, why not favorite it?**_

 _ **If you want to be notified whenever I update the story, go ahead and follow!**_

 _ **Hell, if you want to be notified as to when I post anything, whether it be a new chapter or new story, go ahead and follow me (not literally of course, cause that's stalking)  
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* * *

 _ **Next**_ _ **time on Walter Dornez of the Emblem!**_

 _ **Loss of Humanity**_


	12. Loss of Humanity (Part I)

**_Merry Christmas! (Or whatever other holiday you celebrate!)_**

* * *

 _ **DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

 _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**_

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 **BOLD= DATES, PLACES, ECT.**

 _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**_ **  
** _ **  
(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**_

 _ **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**_

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace (Courtyard)**

 **August 22 (11:32 P.M.)**

It had been two days since the confrontation with Gangrel, and Ylisse's forces were steadily being mobilized. The country was on the eve of war, and the Shepherds found themselves right in the middle of it.

Chrom let out a sigh as Gangrel's words seemed to repeat in his head.

"Sir, it's a bit late for a stroll."

Chrom was snapped out of his thoughts instantly as he turned to face the source of the voice. "Walter…" Chrom breathed a sigh of relief. "Just…" his voice trailed off. "Just dueling some unpleasant thoughts…"

Walter took a seat at a nearby bench. "Care to talk about it?" the butler beckoned Chrom to sit next to him.

The prince took a seat next his butler, "Emm sent a formal request to Regna Ferox for additional soldiers."

"That's good news. We need the extra manpower anyway." Walter noted Chrom's downcast expression, "That's not what you're thinking about, is it?"

Chrom nodded, "Not everything Gangrel said was a lie. The last exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years." The Ylissean prince had a distant look on his face, "The campaign was a brutal one, one that ended with his death fifteen years ago. Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but the war was no kinder to us as it was to them. As the fighting dragged on, Ylisse's own army diminished in size with every battle fought. With the demand for soldiers becoming greater than our supply, common folk were drafted into the military. Young men, just barely adults, were sent into battle with no training. Many were farmers that could barely wield a pitchfork. With no farmers caring for the crops and livestock, the kingdom began to collapse." Chrom closed his eyes, the images of those dark times etched into his memory. "I was young, just barely five, but I remember those dark times. The vivid memories of Ylisse's people lying in the streets- entire families- starving to death. The memories still haunt me to this day, but Emmeryn…" he brought his hand up to his forehead. "...Naga knows that she was affected immensely."

"Indeed…" Walter could see the scars of war in Emmeryn's mannerisms. The Exalt cared deeply for her people, she left the palace on a daily basis in order to walk amongst her people. Her pacifist ideology, one can guess that it was a result of the horrors she witnessed. "I'm familiar with war, it changes people. Even those not fighting in the war are affected."

"You speak as if you've fought in a war before."

Walter nodded, "Yes, but the war I fought in was on a much more grand scale." The butler pulled out his fingerless gloves, the very pair he used as a teenager. He smiled as he recalled that he accidentally tailored the gloves one size too big when first made them, but he ended up growing into them eventually. "That's a tale for another time I suppose. Back on topic, your father left behind quite a mess."

"Indeed, the legacy our father left was terrible." Chrom clenched his fist in anger. "Emm was barely ten when our father died, and the legacy left behind- Plegia's desire for vengeance and our own people's outrage- Emm became the target of blame. The people of Ylisse hurled insults; additionally hurling stones. She still bears a scar from one…" Chrom's voice trailed once again, "Yet she never let them see her pain. Only Lissa and I ever saw her pain."

"Truly a testament to your sister's strength of will." Walter commented, one which Chrom agreed with.

"I cannot claim to know where she obtained such a steadfast will, Walter. I could never hope to be as patient and as caring as her, especially to those that would mock and vilify a child for the sins of their father. Emmeryn…" the prince's tone notably softened, "she did everything she could to heal our people. She brought soldiers home to their families; she ended the war with Plegia. When Ylisse's spirit was finally mended, and the people finally saw that Emmeryn was not our father, my sister never resented them for it. Emmeryn, for that, represents the best part of our halidom- the part most worth protecting. She is peace." Chrom frowned as he continued, "But there are some men, men like Gangrel, that take advantage of my sister's nature. The only way that that man will understand peace is when death gives it to him. So in order to protect peace, I must become an agent of death. Emmeryn would never order his death, and I do not wish her to."

Walter sighed, "I warn you, Chrom. To become an agent of death is to become death itself." An empty smile played it's way onto the aged butler's face. "You haven't the guts to become that; that is a fact."

Chrom got to his feet and looked down at the butler. From the look on his face, Chrom did not take to Walter's comment. "Is that so? I've cut down hundreds of brigands and Plegians, what makes you think that I-"

"The look in your eyes when you kill." Walter cut him off. "Your eyes, do you know what they say about a person's eyes?" the butler kept his head down, refusing to look up at Chrom. "They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and what I see in your eyes is guilt."

Chrom was stunned, "I- I still cut down countless men." He spoke, but was obviously hesitant.

"Is that so?" Walter lifted his head up and stared into Chrom's midnight blue eyes. "You call the trash that we kill men, that shows that you still have a hint of sympathy for them. Those whose companion is death do not sympathize those that are killed. Men they once were, but no longer men they are; the moment the spark of life leaves them, they become nothing but the dead."

Chrom found himself unable to speak. He had never imagined that Walter would ever speak in the way he was now. Walter usually had a grandfatherly persona to him, kind and gentle, yet at the moment he was almost like a completely different person. Gone was the warmth in his steely gray eyes, replaced by what could only be described as an emotionless void.

"When you cut down brigands and Plegians you often think of the fact that each and every one of them had a family." Walter continued." You think of the fact that each and every one of them had dreams and aspirations. You even stop to ponder the life that they had lived that led to them meeting their demise at the tip of your blade. You continue to think of these things instead of coming to the conclusion that anyone who's a companion to death has." the butler's eyes narrowed. "That those you have killed are no longer men, they are simply the dead."

"How could you say such a thing?!" Chrom practically shouted.

"Because I am the Angel of Death, Chrom." Walter replied simply. "I did not earn such a title by sympathizing the dead. Those that I killed throughout my life, whether they were human or undead- like the Risen- are as insignificant to me as insects."

The prince of Ylisse began to question whether or not it was a good idea to continue to trust in this man. Walter, from what Chrom was finding out, was an insane sociopath that was merciless. The prince found himself wanting to run away from the aged butler, for he feared that he would cut him down on the spot…

But then he thought back to how he treated everyone within the Shepherds. He was courteous, never once assaulting anyone for any reason. The man was patient, he never once raised his voice in anger. Most importantly, however, he was kind to everyone. Whenever he saw anyone struggling, whether it be something as insignificant as Virion's inability woo a woman to Kellam's plight, he always stopped to aid them. So why in the world did someone so grandfatherly adopt such a dark outlook on death.

"Why, Walter?" Chrom asked. "Why is it that you kill without sympathy? Why do you embrace the title "Angel of Death"?"

The butler was silent for a few seconds before getting to his feet and placing a hand on Chrom's shoulder. "I do it for the sake of those I care about." the warmth in the butler's eyes returned.

"To become what I have is to become a monster. Human's they feel sadness when they kill because it is human nature. For the same reason you'd never wish for Emmeryn to order Gangrel's death, I'd never wish you to become an agent of death." Walter closed his eyes, "There was a time when I had thought differently though. When I was younger I was the Angel of Death simply because I got a kick out of it. The rush of cutting down my enemies with the swipe of my hand was cathartic to me. It was my reason for living: to cut down the opposition and be remembered for it, but that changed one day." A forlorn expression formed on the butler's face.

"Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, my former master. She was the first person that I truly cared for." Walter looked almost heartbroken as he continued to talk about Integra. "When her father died, she was left in charge of the family "business", if you can call it that. I was left to raise her on my own. I taught her everything I knew and supported her when she needed it. I watched her grow up right before my eyes. I raised her as I would raise my own daughter." he let out a melancholy laugh. "I wanted nothing more than to shield her from the horrors that I had faced on a daily basis, but I couldn't do that. The nature of the organization that she had to lead prevented her from living like a normal woman. In time, the girl I raised became a woman with an edge to her. She became adamant that everyone, including me, refer to her as "Sir Integra" rather than "Lady Integra". As I watched her grow up and slowly lose more and more of her innocence, I vowed one thing. I vowed that she would never be like me; that she would never view death the same way as I. I vowed to ensure that she retained that bit of humanity that I had lost so long ago."

Chrom watched as a single tear slid down Walter's cheek. At that moment, Chrom saw a side of Walter that he doubted anyone had ever seen before. There was sadness, not just because of his memories of this Integra, but of his lost humanity. Here was a man that had given something up, and felt a deep sense of regret for ever giving it up.

"You haven't lost your humanity, Walter." a new voice spoke up.

Chrom and Walter turned to see Marth standing behind a tree.

"Marth?" Chrom stared at the masked man in shock. "How did you get in here?"

Marth approached Walter and Chrom. "The cleft in the castle wall, the one behind the maple grove." he replied simply.

"How did you- how could you…?" Chrom threw his hands up in defeat.

"How I know is of no importance." Marth stopped in front of Walter and grabbed his hands. "What's important is that I tell Walter here that he is not a monster."

Walter stared at the woman disguised as a man. "What are you-"

Marth cut him off by placing a finger over the butler's mouth, silencing him. "Would a monster care enough to save a town of helpless people from bandits? Would a monster care enough to fight the undead, even when they themselves are exhausted?" Marth asked, his tone being notably soft. "Would a monster go out of his way to help a young woman, despite having only just met her?"

A smile formed on Walter's face as he recalled the events that Marth/Lucina was speaking of. The moment he had arrived in Ylisse, he helped save a town alongside Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa. When the Risen first appeared he saved Chrom and Lucina from the Risen Chief, even when he was on the verge of collapsing. Finally, when he saved Lucina from the Plegian brigands.

 _Just like Integra._ Walter stared at the disguised woman with a fond smile. _Just like Integra, you seek to see humanity in even the most hopeless person. Just as Integra treated Alucard like he had some humanity left in him, you treat me the same way. Maybe there is hope for this old codger after all._ The butler was glad that Lucina had shown up tonight.

 _Wait a minute…?_

The butler's eyes widened as he quickly put the pieces together. "Marth, it's tonight, isn't it?" his voice becoming grave.

The masked man nodded, "Yes, unfortunately, it is, Walter."

Chrom looked between the two, confused as to what they were talking about. "What's tonight? Walter, what are you and Marth talking about?"

Walter slipped his gloves on and immediately put his guard up. "Okay, Marth." the butler was ready to summon his wires at any second. "I assume you know what you're doing."

Marth nodded in response as he drew his blade. Chrom immediately tensed, placing his hand over his own blade.

"Walter, what is going on here?" the Ylissean prince swallowed, fearful that Walter and Marth were planning something sinister.

"I'm about to save your life." Marth replied instead. "...From him." he tossed his sword into the air just as an assassin leaped out from a bush behind him. The masked man leaped behind the assassin, catching the blade in midair, and cut him down. "I trust this proof will suffice?" he pointed his blade at the corpse.

Chrom nodded, "Yeah…"

"Watch out!" Walter shouted.

Marth turned around just in time to see another assassin leap out of the bushes. He took a step back to parry the attack, but ended up tripping over the fallen assassin's sword; the second assassin's attack ended up cleaving the mask on his face in two. Walter's wires immediately rushed past the falling warrior and decapitated the second assassin before he could attack again; Walter catching the the unmasked girl in his arms.

Chrom stared at Marth in Walter's arms, surprised by the fact that Marth was in fact a woman. "Wait, you're- you're a woman?" he stuttered over his own words.

"And quite the actress too." Marth replied as Walter put her back on her feet. "Honestly, I'm surprised that Walter was the only one that figured it out."

Chrom looked between the two once more. "When did you find this out?" Chrom's jaw, metaphorically speaking, had dropped.

"When we first met." the butler said simply.

Before anything else could be said, an explosion shook the ground beneath them. The trio immediately ran towards the castle to investigate.

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Emmeryn's bedroom)**

 **August 22 (12:02 A.M.)**

"Emm!" Chrom rushed into Emmeryn's room, sword in hand.

"Chrom!" Emmeryn was out of bed, obviously roused by the explosion that had occurred outside. "Take Lissa and flee while you still have time!"

Chrom shook his head, "No! We're not leaving you!" The prince took hold of his sister's hand, "We need to get you to safety!"

Walter burst into the room, looking far more composed then Chrom did at the moment. "Chrom, Emmeryn, we must convene in the throne room. The throne room is the most easily defendable within this palace. Marth is making her way there as we speak, and the rest of the Shepherds are being mobilized."

"Very good, let's get a move on." Chrom, Emmeryn, and Walter hurriedly made their way to the throne room.

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Throne Room)**

 **August 22 (12:25 A.M)**

"Let's get down to business." Walter spoke faced the Shepherds present. "As you have no doubt been informed, there has been a breach in security." The butler's eyes gleamed across the room, taking note of the Shepherds that had managed to get into the palace. "The palace's main defenses, the Exalt's royal guard, were roundly decimated in the initial attack. That alone tells us that we're are dealing with no simple attack force. The Exalt's guard consisted of the best, and were far too skilled to fall at the hands of any simple task force. In addition, the attack was far too precise to have been a random attack; whoever organized and planned this attack is a tactical genius." the butler's eyes narrowed. "I must say, we certainly have our work cut out for us."

"So…" Lissa swallowed, "Are you saying that we're finished?"

Walter shook his head, "No, that is far from it. The enemy has made the mistake of attacking the palace itself. Word of the attack shall spread quickly and Ylisse's forces shall gather to protect the Exalt; Phila has already left the capital to mobilize the Pegasus knights and Stahl has been sent to rally the military. However…" Walter paused for a moment, "neither the military or the Pegasus Knights are likely going to be able to mobilize in time. By the time either arrive, the Exalt will most likely be dead."

Several gasps were heard across the room.

"That is where we come in." Walter continued, bringing his hands behind his back. "We must hold off the enemy until reinforcements arrive, something that will not be easy."

"Who gives a damn!?" Vaike shouted at the top of his lungs. " 'Ol Teach thinks that these guys have a lot of guts coming over and attacking us like this! Easy or not, Teach is gonna teach 'em a lesson!"

Many voiced their approval of Vaike and his gutsiness. "Yeah! Doesn't matter how tough these guys think they are, they messed with the wrong country!" Sully shouted as well.

Walter beckoned everyone to calm down. "Yes, these villains shall indeed learn their lesson. The plan of attack is as follows; Chrom, Vaike and Frederick shall intercept the attackers in the western hallway. Miriel, Kellam, Sully and Virion shall intercept them in the eastern hallway. Lon'qu shall guard the direct entrance to the throne room. As for me…" Walter cracked his knuckles. "I shall directly confront the enemy within the atrium." The butler turned to Emmeryn, who looked incredibly anxious. "Lady Emmeryn, please remain here while we deal with the threat. Your survival is our highest priority."

Emmeryn nodded, "Very well; please be careful."

"What about me, how can I help?" Lissa suddenly spoke up.

Before Walter could talk, Chrom spoke up first. "Lissa, I think it's best you stay here with Emm."

Lissa stamped her foot, glaring at her older brother. "I'm not just gonna stay here with Emm and-"

"Did you not hear Walter?!" Chrom interrupted her before she could finish. "These aren't just average brigands, this is a trained attack force! One slip up and you could end up dead!" Chrom trembled at the thought of losing his younger sister.

"Are you saying I'm weak?!" Lissa shouted back.

"Milady…" Frederick spoke in a calm tone. "We aren't implying that you are weak by excluding you from this, but Prince Chrom is correct; one mistake can lead to your demise. You are far too delicate for this…"

"I am not delicate!" Lissa yelled at the top of her lungs, silencing Frederick instantly. "I can take care of myself! I don't need anyone to take care of me!" Lissa stormed off, leaving a dumbfounded Frederick and Chrom behind.

Walter, who had simply elected to stand by and watch the argument, chased after the princess. "Everyone, get to your positions immediately." The butler turned to Chrom and Frederick. "I'll have a quick chat with Lissa, don't worry about her."

Chrom and Frederick nodded and left for the western hallway.

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Atrium)**

Lissa had elected to curl up into a ball right beside the entrance to the Atrium. She had no idea what to feel about the situation. She felt scared for her brother, and sister's lives. She was angry at the fact that she was told she couldn't help. She was sad that she was so weak in comparison to everyone else. Lissa was just a ball of teenage hormones, that was the biggest problem.

"Of all the places you choose to sulk, you choose the place I'm supposed to be. It's almost as if you wanted to talk to me about something."

Lissa looked up to see Walter standing over her. "Here to tell me I'm too "delicate" to help?" she grumbled.

"No, I'm simply here to talk to you." the butler squatted down beside the young princess. "I agree with Chrom and Frederick; this situation is far too dangerous for you."

Lissa rolled her eyes, "Tell me something that hasn't already been-"

"Let me finish." Walter continued. "Just because I agree with those two does not mean I agree with how they phrased it. You are by no means "delicate", Lissa. You are a valued member of the Shepherds, someone that can be counted on." the butler gave Lissa a comforting smile. "That being said, neither Chrom nor Frederick said that you were weak; if you had let Frederick finish, you would've found that he sees you're strength."

Lissa simply remained silent as Walter continued.

"Please realize, you're role on the battlefield is not that of a warrior, but rather a healer. Tonight, we need you away from the fighting. This is not because we think you're weak, but rather we need someone to look after the injured. We need you in a place that people can fall back to for medical attention. Everyone's lives- Chrom, Frederick, even mine- are in your hands. If something happens, we're all counting on you to help us out." Walter got to his feet. "Lissa, we need you."

Lissa took a deep breath before getting to her feet. Her hands gripped her staff tightly. "Right, I'll be there to heal you guys up!" She said with determination as she moved back to the throne room to join Emmeryn.

Walter smiled as he watched the Ylissean princess walk with a newfound determination.

"Giving encouragement to young teenagers, a monster you truly are."

Walter turned his head to the darkened corner of the Atrium. "Always one to sneak up on an old codger. You're likely to give me a heart attack one day, Lucina."

The blue-haired princess from the future walked out of the shadows. "I overheard the two of you talking." Lucina stood beside Walter. "Forgive me for eavesdropping."

"It's fine, I was just giving her a bit of encouragement, that's all." Walter put his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the moon through the large skylight.

"Yes, a monstrous thing to do." Lucina shot the butler small grin. "I've no idea why you'd ever think that way about yourself, you're a good man."

Walter shook his head slightly. "Perhaps not a monster, but I'm definitely no good man. I find it fascinating how so easily you forget what I've done to you."

Lucina scoffed, "No, I haven't forgotten, I just forgive you for it." Lucina said simply, "I think that you were justified, acting in caution. Protecting those we care about sometimes requires us to kill, the act doesn't make a person a monster."

"Maybe so…" Walter trailed off. "Tonight, however, is a night that I must act like one. I shall kill with no remorse, soak in the blood of those who would dare attempt to take Chrom or Emmeryn's life."

"Perhaps you're a monster, or perhaps you're just a watchful protectful." Lucina retorted. "A true monster would have no need to call themselves a monster. Insects don't proclaim themselves insects, they simply are; so a monster doesn't need to proclaim itself a monster."

Walter raised an eyebrow, "Insects and mosters are two completely different things."

"True, I'd rather face a horde of risen over a single cockroach any day." Lucina muttered. Walter chuckled slight at the comment before realizing that the girl was oddly serious.

"Wait, you're joking, right?" The butler stared at the future princess quizzically.

Lucina shook her head, "Of course not, insects are absolutely terrifying; what with their many legs and beady eyes."

Walter burst into laughter, not being able to contain himself. "You're skilled enough to fight Chrom to a stalemate, yet you're terrified of insects?"

"It's not funny…" Lucina grumbled. "Insects are a menace…" Despite trying not to, Lucina found herself laughing too. A thought occurred to her after she and Walter finally stopped laughing. "I haven't been able to laugh like that in years." The melancholy tone of her voice told Walter all he needed to know about the world that Lucina had grown up in.

Walter gripped the young woman's shoulders. "Whatever future you hail from, whatever mistakes or events occured to create it, I assure you that they will not be repeated in this time."

Lucina, as dire as the situation was, couldn't help but smile. She felt comforted by Walter's assurance; the promise of a new future.

Tonight was the night that everything would change...

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Entrance)**

Meanwhile outside, the attack force awaited orders from its commander. Several scouts approached their commander, a tall lanky man with discoloured tan skin and ruby eyes. His robes were that of a Plegian sorcerer, shades of black and purple all throughout with gold embroidery.

"Validar, the assassins you sent to kill Prince Chrom were foiled."

Validar, as he was called, seemed slightly irritated by the news. "So those two assassins that were sent failed? Did they at least manage to wound the princeling?"

The scouts shook their heads, "No sir, the prince was protected by his butler and a mysterious woman."

"Is that so?" Validar stroked his goatee. "This butler, quite the name he's made for himself. Plegia has had a rather difficult time causing chaos in Ylisse since this butler appeared little over a month ago. This man is quite the threat to the game we play; an actor that does not belong on this stage." the Plegian sorcerer grimaced. "His meddling matters not, I shall deal with this pest personally." The leader of the attack force faced his militia. "Remember our goal! I want the Emblem in hand and that damned Exalt, Emmeryn, dead on the floor! Let nothing distract you from this purpose!"

Cheers erupted throughout the attack force. They all drew their weapons and began to charge into the castle, except for one. A lone thief had snuck away from the main attack force. He had ginger hair with a black headband tied around his head.

"Geez, I hope I didn't hear what I thought I heard." the thief hid in the shadows, not wishing to join the bloodshed. "Maybe I should've thought twice before I signed that contract, but the idea of stealing from the Exalt's own palace was too tempting to resist. I would happily plunder Emmeryn out of house and home, but I couldn't harm such a sweet lady." The thief watched the numerous Plegians pour into the palace. "I watched these guys cut down entire platoons in order to get in here, I can't take part in this!" He snapped his fingers, "I know, I'll steal whatever I can and leave as soon as the going gets tough!" the ginger thief ran into the palace, sticking to the western hall. For some reason, he had the distinct feeling that moving through the atrium of the palace was an incredibly bad idea. Call it his survival instinct, but what were the chances it was correct?"

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Atrium)**

The spacious atrium was quickly filled with Plegians of all kinds. There were fighters, mages, and thieves, all looking to kill the Exalt. It wasn't long before much of the atrium was filled with Plegians.

A couple gutsy fighters were quick to cross the moonlit filled hall, eager to get the job done as soon as possible.

Tak… tak… tak… tak…

The Plegians all stopped in their tracks upon hearing the footsteps. All heads turned to the source; the other end of the Atrium, which lead to where the Exalt was holed up.

Twing!

Something fast, nigh invisible to the naked eye, sped across the hall. The fighter class Plegians that had sped across the hall earlier had become eerily still. Many whispers could be heard echoing throughout the atrium as the attack force stared at the fighters in confusion. Suddenly, the gutsy Plegians that were so eager to get their job done fell to pieces. Blood splashed all over the stone floor, body parts flew all over the place.

Fear gripped the Plegian invaders, as they had no idea what had just occurred.

"The blood splattering all over the ground, such a satisfying sound…" a figure loomed closer, walking out from where the attack had originated. "...though the mess it leaves is quite the hassle cleaning up." The figure moved into the moonlit atrium; his long greasy hair, slicked back into a ponytail, the monocle reflecting the light. Fear gripped the hearts of the Plegian attack force, as the rumors of the butler that served the Halidom came to mind.

"From your fear gripped eyes, I take it that you've heard of me." a wicked grin formed on the butler's aged face. "For those that haven't, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Walter Dornez, butler to Prince Chrom, though you can call me…" Walter lifted his hand, revealing the many monofilament wires at his gloved fingertips. "... The Angel of Death!"

Many of the Plegians panicked, the mages specifically firing their tomes at the butler. Walter smiled as he became a blur of motion, dodging the thunder magic, dark magic, and wind magic. He weaved through the attacks, effortlessly avoiding all damage.

"Too slow! You're all far too slow!" Walter taunted. "Effective as you are against the fodder that you have faced thus far, you are nothing but amateurs in the face of a true fighter; such as myself. Then again, you lot are nothing but children, naughty children in fact, and naughty children..." Walter sped past the mages and stopped in the middle of the crowd. "...are punished."

His wires sprang to life, cutting down anyone that didn't have the foresight to dodge. Some were bisected, others heads popped by the pressure of the wires being wrapped around their necks. When the attack ended, Walter stood in sea of blood. Practically half of the Plegians in the Atrium were wiped out by the butler.

"Two attacks and half of you are already dead." Walter shook his head in disappointment. "Tsk tsk, I expected more from you lot." As Walter continued his attack, his thoughts were on his allies.

 _My boasts aside, these men actually managed to dodge that second attack. I was right when I said that this lot wasn't composed of average brigands._ Walter dodged a _hand_ axe flying his way _. I just hope that everyone else is alright._

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Western Hallway)**

Enemies poured into the hallway as rapidly as water in a raging river. Whoever had set up the attack basically brought a small army with them, something that greatly worried Chrom as he and Vaike cut through a brigand.

"Naga, how large of an attack force was brought?!" Chrom grunted as he deflected an attack meant for Vaike. "Their attack has only just begun, yet it's as if we've been fighting for an eternity!"

Vaike cleaved his axe through a dark mage who was within range. "Aw Chrom, you tired already? Ol' Teach is just gettin' started!" The blonde axe-wielder turned suddenly and threw a hand axe into a faraway mage.

Chrom rolled his eyes as he dodged an attack meant for his head. Just as he was about to retaliate, Frederick already moved in and embedded his sword into the brigand's gut.

"Fight with caution, milord!" Frederick took a javelin and threw it into a thief behind Chrom. "What Walter said is true, these are no simple brigands! This is a trained attack force!" The great knight pushed his lance forward and charged at several unsuspecting brigands. He managed to impale a few, but the rest had the sense move out of the way.

Chrom bit his tongue, slightly intimidated by the amount of enemies that were pouring into the hall. The Ylissean prince shrugged the fear off and charged back into the fray, Falchion in hand. As he cut down brigands, he noticed a figure in the shadows.

"I knew there was wisdom in slipping in with those rogues…" a voice, distinctly feminine spoke up. "Look at how these man-spawn claw at each other like savages! I will repay my warren's debt and then wash my hands of their race." A woman with distinct animal characteristics walked out from the shadows.

Chrom immediately raised his blade against her. "Another assassin?"

"Hold!" Lucina, or rather Marth, suddenly held Chrom back from attacking the animal-like woman. "Panne is not your enemy."

Chrom's grip on his sword did not loosen, "You know her?"

Marth was silent, thinking of how to reply to the question. "I know…" she paused for a moment. "I know of her, and I knew she would come here tonight."

Chrom turned around and cut down a brigand. Marth joined Chrom, syncing her movements with the prince. The duo cut down brigands like a river wears away rock. They moved through brigand after brigand.

"You're quite the prophet, aren't you?" Chrom said as he blocked a strike meant for Marth.

"You choose now to make conversation?" Marth chuckled as she moved to block an attack meant for Chrom.

"Well, there's a chance we won't get to talk at all if we don't survive, so might as well talk while we can." Chrom twirled his blade overhead and brought it down onto an enemy.

"You're surviving tonight, that I'll make sure of!" Marth brought her blade upwards and cleaved a dark mage in two.

The two were surprised when what can only be described as a colossal quadrupedal bunny rabbit charged through a band of brigands before their very eyes. Chrom was particularly surprised when this beast suddenly reverted into the form of the animal-like woman from earlier.

"You man-spawn speak far too much!" She berated both Chrom and Marth. "Words do not belong in battle!" The woman proceeded to transform back into her colossal beast form to tear through the enemies.

Chrom exchanged a glance with Marth, who seemed a lot less surprised than he was. In fact, she didn't seem surprised at all.

"I really hope that you're right, and she's an ally…" Chrom muttered as he watched the beast woman crush and decimate practically all the enemies in her path.

"Trust me, she is." Marth replied.

Satisfied, Chrom resumed fighting the enemy while Marth left the west hall to provide aid elsewhere.

* * *

 **Ylissetol ~ Royal Palace(Atrium)**

Walter was bouncing off the walls at this point, having become a blurring beast that annihilated everyone that dared to cross into his territory. Choosing to forgo using his wires in combat to conserve his stamina, he leaped into the air and unsheathed his rapier. Taking a cue from Chrom and Lucina, the butler became a human buzzsaw, spiraling through the air and cutting down several more brigands. He changed the direction of his descent, wrapping his wires around a pillar. He looped around it, forming a deadly orbit that beheaded a few more brigands. The butler finally ceased his deadly attack and landed back on his two feet.

The once pristine stone and marble floors of the atrium were stained with the blood of countless brigands. Walter's clothing was also stained, a few blotches of the crimson liquid staining his once pristine dress shirt.

"I must say, I haven't felt this exhilarated in years." The butler said darkly as he felt the adrenaline from his assault pump through his veins. "Yes, I've missed this feeling; the feeling of lording my superiority over fodder! Staining the ground with the blood of the filth that roam the world!" Walter's body trembled in excitement. "Yes, give me more! Come, attack me!"

Walter suddenly realized what he was saying and moved his hand over his mouth. The adrenaline rush faded as he realized that he was sounding exactly like Alucard. "No, I am not a monster…" Walter said quietly to himself. The butler took a deep breath before surveying the area. It seemed like he had cleared the area of enemies for the time being.

"Impressive, you truly do live up to the legend you've made for yourself…"

Walter looked to the entrance on the opposite end of the Atrium. A man in Plegian sorcerer attire walked into the moonlit atrium. A twisted smile was plastered on the man's face as he surveyed Walter's handiwork.

"You truly do not belong here, not on this stage." The man spoke as he caressed his magic tome. "An anomaly, one that I did not foresee. Who are you, butler to Ylisse?"

Walter's eyes narrowed. He could feel power radiate from the sorcerer, dark and ancient power for that. "Walter C. Dornez, retainer to prince Chrom." the butler replied, never taking his eyes off the man. "I take it that you are the leader of this little attack?"

The man's sinister smile grew, "Yes, though the events of tonight shall bring about a power far greater than mine."

Walter raised an eyebrow, "You speak as if you have knowledge of the future."

The sorcerer shook his head, "No, I simply am aware of the inevitable. You could say I'm putting things into motion."

"Inevitable, you say?" Walter snickered. "I can tell you what's inevitable; you're little attack's failure."

The sorcerer stared at Walter through narrowed eyes. "Yes, I never expected such resistance. You specifically, Mr. Dornez, have thrown my forces into disarray, but you cannot stop me." he clenched his fist. "I will have Emmeryn's head and the Fire Emblem in my grasp!"

Walter shook his head, "No, I don't think so." Walter raised his rapier.

The sorcerer seemed amused by the aged butler's declaration. "Then come, cut me down butler!"

 ** _(Play song ~ Menace [Fire Emblem Awakening OST])_**

Walter leaped at the sorcerer, pushing his rapier forward to impale him through the chest. Somehow the sorcerer had reacted fast enough to create a sudden wall of fire to prevent the butler from doing so. The butler stopped and jumped away from the flames. This seemed to be exactly what his foe wanted him to do, as the sorcerer preemptively cast fire behind Walter just milliseconds before Walter had jumped back.

Walter cursed under his breath as he stopped and jumped over the flames. The sorcerer didn't end his assault, as he began to launch volleys of fire at the butler. Walter batted away any that came his way as he descended toward the ground. The aged man clicked his teeth in annoyance as the sorcerer aimed the fire at the ground where he was going to land and lit the ground aflame.

"Is this all that you're capable of, butler!?" the sorcerer bellowed as Walter landed in the middle of the flames and retreated back into the air. "Perhaps I was wrong to view you as an obstacle, you're more like an insignificant insect!"

Walter found himself on the defensive, unable to move in to attack. He cursed as he landed in the middle of the flames once more, forcing him to leap into the air once more. Wherever he was landing, the sorcerer lit the ground aflame. Deciding that now was not the time to conserve his stamina, Walter summoned his wires once more.

Walter's foe was taken by surprise when several strands of monofilament wire flew directly at him. The Plegian sorcerer quickly created barrier of flames and deflected the attack. He retaliated by reforming the barrier into a wave of fire and hurling it straight at the butler.

Finally managing to land back on the ground, Walter swiped his hand. His wires cut through the flames and reduced them to a simple candle fire. The smaller flame singed his clothing, but the butler was fine overall.

"Damn…" Walter muttered under his breath. "I may have underestimated him…" the butler flicked his hand and summoned up several more strands of wire. "Let's see how he deals with this one." Walter twitched his hand, causing his wires to fling towards his foe.

A smug smile formed on the sorcerer's face. He created a barrier of flames, just as he did earlier, to deflect the wires. He was taken off guard when the wires suddenly veered off their expected course and looped around the barrier. The Plegian scowled as he was forced to move out of the way. As he moved, he realized that Walter had moved from his original position. The sorcerer turned around to see Walter dashing at him, rapier in hand. He expected for the butler to attack him directly, so he created a firewall to stop his approach. To his surprise, Walter threw his sword through the firewall. The sorcerer scoffed and simply sidestepped out of the way. His eyes widened when he caught sight of something thin wrapped around the handle of the rapier. Realizing the mistake he had made, he immediately ducked. He ducked just in time too, as the rapier turned around in midair and slashed at where his head once was. The rapier immediately retreated back to into Walter's hand.

Walter smirked, "I wouldn't get too cocky, I have more than enough tricks up my sleeve to deal with people like you."

 ** _(Song ends here)_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _Well it seems things are starting to "heat" up!(Couldn't resist)_**

 ** _Now that I've got the awful pun out of my system, time for some notes or whatever the heck I put in this section. I dunno what I'm supposed to put here, I see other people do write these kind of after chapter things and I assumed that I had to do it too. Well not really, I'm just doing this because I feel like rambling._**

 ** _Anyway, I just hope you enjoyed the first part of this two part battle. I didn't plan on this being two parts, it just kinda happened. I do hope that this chapter was up to snuff and quite enjoyable to read._**

 ** _Now the behind the keyboard thingies that I write for some odd reason. (Not even sure that people actually read these)_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _Too Long..._**

 ** _Two part chapters don't happen for no reason. I wanted this to be one chapter, but it was just too long. No need to overload you with this humble story, all y'all have other things to do; at least I assume you have other things to do. Well, the length of the chapter wasn't the only reason I spliced the chapter in two. I felt that the pacing would benefit from a two parter._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _Romance WAS in the air_**

 ** _Now all you that love their pre-battle fluff, I actually cut out something akin to that._**

 ** _Well, it definitely had a romantic mood to it..._**

 ** _Well, it was more implied..._**

 ** _I'm not going to tell you what happened, but I will tell you that I cut it out because I knew that it would kind of ruin the mood._**

 ** _Virtual cookie to anyone who correctly guesses who was involved in the fluff. (Though I'm probably not going to comment on whether you're right or wrong)_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _Gender is a fickle thing_**

 ** _If you noticed, whenever Lucina and Walter are alone together, I always refer to Lucina as "she". Whenever it's just Lucina or someone else, other than Walter, is present, I refer to her as "he" and "Marth". I actually spent an entire day writing, and debating, what gender I'd refer to her as in certain situations. It's a weird thing to focus on, I know, but I was seriously stumped on this. Thankfully, now that her true sex is revealed, I don't have to deal with that anymore._**

 ** _Although she'll still be referred to as Marth by everyone, sans Walter._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _This isn't a behind the keyboard_**

 ** _Guess what happened to my laptop?_**

 ** _It borked. Yes, I know I wrote the word borked instead of broke; I like the word borked better._**

 ** _I'm writing on my phone right now, so this is technically a "behind the touchscreen" segment of the chapter._**

* * *

 ** _Now I hope this doesn't happen, but the next chapter will probably be delayed as a result of my busted laptop. Don't worry, I'm not make you wait an eternity for an update(Even though I have a bad habit of doing that) and the next chapter will be out as quickly as I can get it out. Note that because of the fact that I'll be typing some of the next chapter up using my phone, I may be more prone to grammatical errors. Just bear with me while I try to either get my laptop fixed or buy a new one._**

 ** _I hope all you folks had a rockin' Christmas Eve, or whatever holiday you celebrate this winter season and I'll see you next chapter!_**

* * *

 _ **If you like the story so far, why not favorite it?**_

 _ **If you want to be notified whenever I update the story, go ahead and follow!**_

 _ **Hell, if you want to be notified as to when I post anything, whether it be a new chapter or new story, go ahead and follow me (not literally of course, cause that's stalking)  
**_

 _ **Review if you wanna comment!**_

* * *

 _ **Next**_ _ **time on Walter Dornez of the Emblem!**_

 _ **Loss of Humanity (Part II)**_


	13. Loss of Humanity (Part II)

**_Let's start this New Year right!_**

* * *

 _ **DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

 _ **FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.**_

 _ITALICS=THOUGHTS_

 **BOLD= DATES, PLACES, ECT.**

 _ **BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR**_ **  
** _ **  
(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)**_

 _ **Walter Dornez of the Emblem**_

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Western Hallway)**

"The Exalt's treasury has to be around here somewhere."

The ginger-haired thief that separated from the attack force earlier poked his head around the corner of the hall. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he spotted his former comrades facing off against the Shepherds.

"Yeah…" he muttered under his breath. "...I'm gonna do my best to avoid that." The ginger thief quickly plotted a route through the hall that would enable him to pass undetected. Stepping lightly, the thief snuck from one end of the hall to the other, and quickly hid behind a pillar. Sticking close to the shadows of the pillars, he walked from behind one to the next without making a single noise. Even if his footsteps were audible, the sound of steel clashing with steel would've drowned them out anyway.

"Almost there…" the ginger muttered under his breath. He was just a couple of steps away from the exit of the hall; he was so close that he could just taste the goodies that the exalt had stored up.

I really hope she has some sweets I could pilfer; that would make this whole mess worth it. His mouth was watering thinking of all the various candies that someone as important as the Exalt would own. Unfortunately, he was so deep in his fantasizing of candies that he failed to spot check and tripped over the corpse of a fallen fighter.

"Oh crap!" the ginger shouted as he landed flat on his face. He ignored the pain from the fall and scrambled to his feet.

"Stop right there brigand!"

 ** _(Play song ~ "The Vaike never forgets! I just don't always remember." [Fire Emblem Awakening OST])_**

The thief turned around and came face-to-face with the Ylissean prince himself: Chrom.

"Hey, this isn't at all what it looks like!" The thief raised his hands in defense. "I'm not with the rest of these guys!"

Chrom raised an eyebrow, "Just because you're not with these guys, doesn't automatically mean you're not up to no good."

The ginger thief sighed, "True, but I ain't here to hurt anyone, pal."

The blue-haired prince tightened his grip on his sword, "I don't believe you; why else would you be here?"

"Look blue blood, I ain't no assassin like the rest of these guys. I'm just a thief trying to make a living." The ginger replied. "I admit that I was with these guys earlier, but I defected as soon as I heard that we were supposed to kill the Exalt. You see, they said we were only gonna break into a vault of some kind; I wasn't aware that there was gonna be any murdering."

Chrom let out a slight chuckle, "Quite the pacifist criminal, aren't you?"

"Hey, I wouldn't say I'm a pacifist, princey." The thief frowned. " I have no qualms slitting the throat of anyone trying to slit mine. Only reason that I haven't tried to kill you is because you haven't given me any reason to; same can be said about that Exalt sister of yours. I'd never be able bring myself to harm such a sweet lady like her."

Chrom's eyes narrowed, "Is that so…?" The blue-haired prince lowered his sword. "Care to to prove yourself?"

The thief gave Chrom a confused stare. "Beg pardon?"

"You see…" Chrom began to elaborate. "We Shepherds need all the help we can get if we're gonna keep Emmeryn alive. So, I'm willing to let you live if you help us out."

The thief raised his hand to his chin. He thought the request over before responding. "There will be sweet payment, I assume?"

Chrom rolled his eyes. "You want payment, I'll give you payment." The Ylissean prince reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He then tossed it over to the thief, who opened it up immediately. Chrom's eyes widened slightly when he saw he accidentally handed him a bag of candies.

"Whoops, let me…"

"Now this is a fine payment, you my friend have got my support!" The thief exclaimed as he quickly unwrapped one of the lollipops and popped into his mouth.

Chrom's jaw dropped. "You- you want to be paid in candies?"

The thief nodded, "Yup, I did ask for a "sweet" payment, didn't I?"

Chrom slapped his forehead at the utter ridiculousness of the requested payment. "Well, can I ask you for your name, seeing as we're now allies?"

The thief smirked, "The name's Gaius, blue blood."

 ** _(Song ends here)_**

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Eastern Hallway)**

The Shepherds defending the eastern hallway were currently being bombarded by countless fighters and dark mages. The hall wasn't quite as packed as the Atrium or the western hallway, but it was still overwhelming.

"Damn it…" Sully cursed as she engaged several fighters at once. She shoved her lance forward, hoping for a swift victory. The red-haired cavalier was surprised when the attack was deflected, her lance being snapped in two in the process. Sully quickly unsheathed the sword at her hip and parried an incoming attack. She quickly cut the fighter down, swiping her sword across the villains gut. The victory was short lived, as another fighter snuck up behind her and slammed his axe into her side. Sully let out a pained grunt as she quickly turned around and stabbed her assailant through the chest. This created another opening for another fighter to come in and attack her, this time swinging the axe into her back. The cavalier coughed up a glob of blood as she was knocked to the ground. Sully was about to get up and beat the ever living hell out of her attacker, but her attacker delivered a hard kick to her stomach. All the air was knocked out of the redhead's lungs.

"You put up a good fight lass, but this is where ye die." The fighter raised his axe over his head, intent on beheading the cavalier. He did not get the pleasure of doing so, as an arrow embedded itself into the man's skull.

Sully, who was still recovering from the kick to her gut, barely managed to lift her head off the ground to see her savior.

"Are you alright?" Virion knelt beside the injured woman. Sully noted that this was possibly the first time she had ever seen the nobleman as serious as he was now. For once there was no underlying flirtatious tone to his voice, in fact he sounded scared. Sully managed to gather her strength to respond.

"Yeah..." she spoke through clenched teeth. "My armor took most of the impact."

Virion didn't seem convinced, in fact he just looked more concerned. "No, you took more damage than you care to admit." he glanced at the spots where Sully had been hit. The armor in both areas had been shattered on impact. The skin in the area had turned a nauseating deep purple. Some shards of her armor actually embedded themselves into her skin.

"You need to retreat." Virion spoke as he quickly stood back and fired three arrows in quick succession. Each arrow hit their mark perfectly. The archest of archers turned his attention back to Sully. "These are incredibly grave injuries, you won't survive if you don't retreat now."

Sully shook her head in protest. "I ain't leavin', Ruffles…" she struggled to push herself off the ground. "I- I've gotta stay an- and fight!"

"You're too injured to continue, you have to leave!" Virion raised his voice, something that Sully had never seen him do ever. Virion fired several arrows, each embedding themselves into his targets. "A tigress is strong enough to tear through it's foes with little difficulty, but even the tigress is not invincible! You cannot afford to take any more damage!"

Sully let his words sink in. She always assumed that Virion was entire selfish and actually didn't care about her well-being. This was a side of Virion she had never thought existed; a side of Virion that he had boasted about since she first met him. As much as she hated to admit it, Virion was proving himself to be every bit of a hero as he said he was. Most women would swoon over the romantic known as Virion instantaneously, but Sully wasn't some naive woman; many would argue she was more of a man than most men in the world. She found him to be an irritating show off that was more bark than bite. The way he treated her was something she found intolerable; she was not some fair maiden that would fall head-over-heels for some bib wearing noble. She was a knight, a part of the Shepherds, a force reckoned with; she was not some damsel-in-distress.

Yet here she was, injured and overwhelmed; the only thing preventing her from being murdered on the spot was the very man that she often felt irritation working with. She assumed that she was the only reason that the duo ever survived the battles they fought side-by-side in. Looking back, however she realized that she didn't give Virion enough credit. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Virion had saved her skin more times than she had ever saved his. She felt a pang of something in her chest, she didn't know what it was but she suddenly felt thankful that Virion was watching her back.

"You sure you'll be fine on your own, Ruffles?" Sully asked, for the first time legitimately concerned for the Archest of Archers. The silvery blue-haired noble nodded in response. Sully pushed herself off the ground. "You take care of yourself, Ruffles. I don't wanna be told that you fell to some random fighter or something like that."

Virion shot her a smug smirk, "Dearest Sully, have I ever given you reason to worry?" The noble archer dodged a flux spell before quickly eliminating the dark mage that had fired said spell.

"True." Sully returned the smile before retreating from the hallway, towards the throne room.

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Atrium)**

"Before we continue, could you grace me with your name, good sir?" Walter stood opposite to the sorcerer he had been fighting. He made sure to position himself in front of the exit that led to the throne room, ensuring that the sorcerer did not get to Emmeryn.

"Well, since you've given me such a bracing workout, I'll indulge you. Since I know that you can't possibly beat me, I see no harm in introducing myself." the sorcerer performed a mock bow. "My name is Validar."

Walter felt a slight throbbing in his head, but it faded rather quickly. "Validar- I'll make sure to remember that long after I've killed you." The butler called forth his wires once more. "After all, you're the first person in this world to ever push me to my limits; that my friend is commendable."

Walter broke out into a sprint, his wires were all orbiting him. Validar retaliated by firing off several waves of fire. The aged butler weaved through the flames, barely even acknowledging their existence. Walter then launched his wires straight at the sorcerer. Validar scoffed at the attack and easily repelled it.

Attack after attack was launched; fire deflected by wires, wires repelled by fire. Attacks were being flung at sonic speed, yet none hit their mark.

After a minute of dodging, Walter managed to get within melee distance of Validar. Unsheathing his rapier, Walter thrusted it towards Validar's chest. Surprisingly, the sorcerer managed dodge the stab and he retaliated by raising a hand towards Walter's face.

"Burn in hell, butler!" Validar cackled as he unleashed a torrent of flames on said butler.

Walter had no time to dodge and was blasted back by the inferno. The aged butler was quick to recover, planting his heel into the ground to stop himself from sliding backwards. He then twirled and launched his wires at Validar. The sorcerer pushed both of his hands forward and blasted the wires with another torrent of flames. Walter clicked his teeth in irritation as he dug his heel into the floor and brought both of his hands down, bringing them just inches above the ground. The wires followed the command and began pushing themselves through the blazing inferno. Validar scoffed at the aged man's attack and he increased the power behind his flames. Walter gritted his teeth as he attempted to force the wires through the inferno. The heat of the fire was so intense that Walter's clothing began to smolder, as if it were on the verge of bursting into flames. The butler quickly realized that he wasn't going to get through the fire and he quickly changed tactics. Letting off the attack, Walter cartwheeled out of the way of the inferno. The flames formed a funnel and blasted past the butler, hitting the wall behind him. The intense heat of the fire began to quickly melt the stone wall.

Walter retaliated and launched his wires at Validar once more. The sorcerer pulled his hands back before pushing them forward, launching flames at several times the power of the last ones. The force of the fire alone was enough to stop the wires from progressing towards him. The fire itself erupted forth in a ring, Validar being the epicenter of the inferno. It was launched so fast that Walter couldn't react in time to leap over it. The butler let out a pained cry as the fires seared him. The unbearable heat scorched his clothes, his usually pristine ensemble beginning to blacken and burn.

When the fires finally subsided, Validar was surprised to see Walter still standing. The sleeves of his shirt had burned away, and several holes were been formed in his pants, waistcoat, and shirt. Several burns were visible on his body, second degree along with a few third degree burns present on his arms and face. His gloves had burned away, leaving him with no weapon other than his rapier.

"What a surprise, you're still standing?" a sadistic grin formed on Validar's face. "Most people would be reduced to charred bones from an attack like that; you really are something else." The sorcerer slowly approached the heavily injured butler. "Alas, this is the end of our little game. You've been quite the entertaining foe"

As Validar approached him, Walter was barely staying conscious. His entire body was in agonizing pain, he could barely feel his arms. It hurt to even lightly grip his rapier, and standing was a trial in itself.

 _I won't give up here. I have to stop this madman, no matter the cost._ Walter breathed heavily through his gritted teeth. Ignoring all the pain, the aged man painfully tightened the grip on his rapier and raised his scorched arm. He cried in agony, but he was determined to kill his foe no matter what. Walter brought his arm down to cut through Validar, but was easily stopped mid-slash. Validar had caught his arm with little to no effort at all.

"Even now you fight, impressive but foolish." Validar commented as he dug his thumb into one of the burns on Walter's arm. Pain shot through the butler's body and he immediately released his grip on the weapon.

"That ends this wonderful battle of ours. Alas, the tales of the Ylissean butler seem to have been grossly exaggerated, such a pity." Validar let out a dark chuckle. "I admit, I was a bit wary of confronting you in a battle, but it seems my worries were all for nought." the sorcerer raised a hand to Walter's face. "I've wasted enough time here, I bid you farewell, Mr. Dornez." As Validar prepared to end Walter's life, he noticed a symbol on the palm of Walter's hand. His eyes widened in shock as he registered what exactly was on the palm of Walter's hand.

"Yo- you!?" Validar backed away from Walter, the fear and shock visible in his eyes. "You can't be, it's impossible!"

Walter didn't understand what had spooked Validar so much, but he didn't care, this was the opening he needed. The butler ignored the pain once more, picked up his sword and leapt at Validar once again. Unfortunately, Validar recovered from his shock and blasted Walter back with his fire once more. Walter cried in agony as he was launched into a wall. A sickening crack could be heard as he hit the wall and crumpled to the floor. It was over, Walter was not only badly burned, but severely crippled. He knew, just from the pain alone, that several of his bones had broken on impact.

Despite all this, and more, the former Hellsing butler attempted to pick himself off the ground. He immediately regretted this decision, as sharp pains ran through not only his burnt arms, but his entire body. This was the absolute worst he had ever been injured, and he could hardly cope with it. To put it in perspective, he'd have much rather been punched by Millennium's werewolf captain several hundred times than be in his current situation. With that being said, Walter's strength failed completely and he flopped back down onto the ground.

"You…"

Walter lifted his head off the ground to see Validar standing over him.

"As impossible as it is, you're here." The sorcerer had a twisted smile on his face. "Nearly twenty years I've been looking for you, and here you are: an aged old man." Validar knelt beside the injured butler. "I don't know how you're here, nor do I know how you could possibly be as old as you are now. I'm just overjoyed to see you." he began to cackle. "Overjoyed to see you, my…"

"Walter!"

Validar had no time to finish his sentence as a blue blur dashed into the room and immediately began to attack the sorcerer. Walter raised his head and tried to make out the newcomer.

"Luce- Lucina…" Walter coughed up a glob of blood as he watched the Ylissean princess from future attack Validar.

"Walter!" Lissa came dashing in, staff in hand. "Oh Naga, what happened to you!?" she cried as she knelt beside the heavily injured man. She felt like she was going to vomit, never had she seen such severe burns.

"Lis- Lissa, you- you've gotta…" Walter struggled to get the words out of his mouth. "...you've gotta get- get out of here. It's too dangerous, he- he's too strong…"

"Don't talk, Walts! You can't waste your energy on talking!" Lissa quickly got to work on healing Walter's wounds.

Just several meters away, Lucina was aggressively trying to cut Validar down. She was determined to shove her sword straight through the sorcerer's chest.

Validar could've very easily incinerated Lucina then and there, but he didn't wish to waste his magic on her. His fight with Walter had drained his tome of magic, and he didn't have much left to fight with.

Unfortunately the wounds on Walter were far too severe for Lissa to heal. No matter how much she tried, the burns would just not mend.

"Come on! Damn it, why won't you heal!" Lissa was on the verge of tears.

Walter for the most part had accepted his fate. He knew that even if he was patched up, even if he did heal, he was no match for Validar. What could he do? He had no stamina left, no gloves, and his skills with the rapier were nothing to write home about. There was nothing he could do, and that had broken him. It wasn't the injuries that had beaten him, it was the knowledge that he had failed his duty to protect Emmeryn. The knowledge that he had failed Lucina, and that the future was doomed. The knowledge that Walter C. Dornez, "the Angel of Death", was not strong enough.

 _I've never been strong enough, have I?_ Walter could hear the sound of Lucina grunting as she fought Validar several meters away. _I've been weak all my life, a failure all my life. I made all the wrong decisions a man could make, and when I finally made a good one, I failed._ Walter closed his eyes and prepared to accept death, just as he had over a month ago onboard the Deus Ex Machina. _It was a fine attempt, but alas this is where my story ends…_

"Ah!"

Walter's eyes shot open at the sound of Lucina crying out in pain. The butler slowly turned his head; the sight that greeted him draining all the blood from his face. Lucina was on the ground, her hand on her own gut. A dagger was planted in her, and blood was soaking her hands and clothes.

"Lucky that I had that up my sleeve." Validar chuckled. "I had planned on using that to gut the Exalt, but I don't mind using it to kill you as well." The sorcerer kicked Lucina in the face and followed up by stomping on her chest.

The sound of Lucina crying out in agony caused something in Walter to snap. The aged butler felt something he hadn't felt in years, an emotion that he had largely felt only in the most sadistic of moods. It was rage, unrelenting rage at that. His blood boiled as he watched Validar continuously stomp his foot on Lucina.

 ** _(Play song ~ Inu No Kuso [Hellsing Ultimate OST])_**

"Stop- stop it!" Walter spoke through clenched teeth.

"Walter, stay down, you're gonna get yourself killed!" Lissa attempted to calm Walter, but to no avail. Walter, through all the pain and agony, began to stand. As he did, a hot steam began to emit from his wounds.

"You…" Walter growled, his voice carried a malice that chilled all those present to the bone. "I've had enough of you." The wounds on his arms and face began to heal, alarming Validar immensely. As the burns and various wounds were erased from his body, Walter seemed to be growing younger. His hair grew several inches longer, and any prominent wrinkles on his face had been reduced in prominence. His arms, which had largely been slim, now had some noticeable musculature. When the de-aging had ceased, and the steam no longer poured off his body, Walter looked a decade younger; he looked like a man in his mid-to-late forties, whereas he looked like he was in his late fifties just seconds earlier.

Validar and Lissa were speechless at Walter's sudden transformation. Validar had let up on his brutal assault on Lucina, giving the blue-haired princess a chance to focus on the transformation Walter had underwent.

"Validar," Walter growled. His voice was silky smooth, yet it carried an edge that could chill the Fell Dragon himself. "You are trash, unworthy to be called a man or a monster. Today, I send you to your grave so that you may be cast into the pits of hell." The de-aged butler cracked his knuckles and proceeded to slip on his fingerless leather gloves. Earlier he refused to use the fingerless gloves, but now he couldn't afford to worry about the stamina drain.

"Lissa, take Marth and get out of here." Walter didn't bother to face the blond haired princess. "Retreat to the throne room and tend to her wounds."

"But.." Lissa swallowed as she looked between Walter and Validar, who looked absolutely astounded. "But what if-"

"Do as I tell you, right now!" the de-aged butler was not going to listen to Lissa. "Leave now before I lose what little reason I have left!"

 ** _(Song ends here)_**

The blond healer, albeit hesitant, nodded and ran to grab Lucina. Validar, snapped out of his stupor and raised his hand.

"Oh no, there will be no retreat for you." Just as he began to charge his attack, Validar was suddenly interrupted by Walter suddenly crossing the distance between them. The Angel of Death immediately punched the sorcerer in the gut before grabbing him by the arm. Walter then began to swing him around before throwing him across the room.

"Walt- Walter…?" Lucina's voice was barely above a whisper. Walter turned and knelt beside the injured princess.

"Save your strength." he placed his gloved hand on her cheek. The butler's gunmetal gray eyes softened as they met Lucina's midnight blue eyes. "We're going to save the future, just leave everything to me."

Lucina was reluctant to leave Walter to fight Validar on his own, but she also had faith in the man. Now, more than ever, she knew that Walter would save the present- or was it the past- from becoming like the future she hailed from.

"Please, be careful…" Lucina picked herself off the ground, one hand still clutching her gut. The de-aged butler nodded as he helped her get back on her feet before turning to face Validar. As Lucina and Lissa retreated behind him, Walter focused all his unrelenting fury on making Validar suffer. Without even giving Validar a chance to recover from his earlier attack, Walter crossed the distance between them once more.

 _ **(Play song ~ Dead Zone/Elevator Action [Hellsing Ultimate OST])**_

Keen on torturing the sorcerer for as long as possible, Walter elbowed him in the gut.

Validar coughed up blood as all the air was knocked out of him. He had no time to rest, as Walter delivered a devastating uppercut to his jaw. The sorcerer could feel his jaw pop out of place, as well as a few teeth fly out of his mouth. The uppercut was so powerful that he was actually lifted off the ground a bit. The beat down didn't end there either, as the Ylissean butler grabbed one of Validar's legs, while he was still off the ground, and proceeded to swing him over head. Validar flailed like a rag doll as Walter mercilessly slammed him into the walls and the floor. Every impact broke more and more of his bones, and all the sorcerer could do was flail and scream.

Mercifully, Walter stopped slamming his foe into the various surfaces and instead elected to throw him through one of the walls. The sound of practically all of Validar's bones breaking echoed throughout the atrium. As the butler approached the sorcerer, Walter was surprised that Validar actually managed stand back up.

"Hmm, it seems that I failed to completely break your legs…" Walter's eyes narrowed as he raised a hand. "Allow me to rectify that mistake."

Validar felt his heart beat rapidly as the butler slowly approached. Fear shook him to his very core. At this very moment, he didn't care about killing the Exalt, the very reason he was there in the first place; all he cared about was escaping the monster that was keen on tearing to shreds, or worse.

"Burn! Burn in hell!" Validar shouted at the top of his lungs. "Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!" he unleashed all his power in the form of a colossal wave of fire, large enough to fill the whole Atrium. The sorcerer launched his desperate attack at Walter, hoping to reduce him to ashes. Walter seemed unconcerned by the fire, casually strolling into it even.

As the fire engulfed the butler, Validar was sure that he had eliminated him. To his horror, the flames parted and gave way for Walter. His strongest attack, was reduced to a simple candle fire.

Desperate to get away, Validar began barraging Walter with balls of fire, but each were casually batted away by the butler's wires. The sorcerer, at the end of his rope, made a break for it.

Walter, not keen on letting him get away, swiped his hand. His wires followed the command and wrapped themselves around one of Validar's legs. With a single tug, the leg was torn from Validar's body. The sorcerer howled in agony as he tumbled to the ground. The adrenaline coursed through his veins, his body trembling in fear at the monster that had been unleashed, he attempted to crawl away. It wasn't enough, as Walter grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into another wall. The monstrous man held him against the wall.

"Wha- what the- the hell are you?" Validar struggled against Walter's iron grip.

"Who am I?" Walter flashed him a sadistic smile. "I am the Angel of Death, and you…" the butler tightened his grip on Validar's neck. "...are dead."

The sound of Validar's screams would echo throughout the palace until the Shepherds reinforcements arrived, just little under an hour later.

 ** _(Song ends here)_**

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Throne Room)**

 **August 22 (1:42 A.M)**

As the last of the attack force was defeated by the arriving Pegasus Knights and Military, the Shepherds convened in the throne room. As their wounds were tended to by Lissa and Maribelle, who had just arrived, Chrom ran to Emmeryn.

"Thank Naga, you're safe!" the usually composed prince was trembling.

"Please, be at peace." Emmeryn embraced her younger brother. "It is thanks to you that I still breathe." As the two shared a tender moment, Phila rushed in.

"Forgive me, I failed in my duty!" The normally stoic captain of the Pegasus Knights looked absolutely distraught. "They should never have made it into the castle in the first place!"

Chrom turned to Phila and shot her a comforting smile. "Peace Phila, there was no way we could've seen this coming. In fact, the only ones that saw this coming were Marth and…" Chrom's voice trailed off. "...Walter." The prince of Ylisse immediately panicked, as the aged butler was nowhere to be found. "Has anyone seen Walter?"

The entirety of the Shepherds began to scan the room, but found no sign of the butler.

"I'm here, sir…"

All heads turned to the entrance of the throne room. The air seemed to be sucked out of the room as Walter came into view. His damaged blood soaked clothing was one thing, but the fact that Walter now looked forty was another.

"Forgive me for my tardiness, I was held up." His voice had much more baritone than earlier.

"Walter..." Chrom swallowed as he took in the butler's appearance. "What happened?" The butler pulled a chair up and practically collapsed into it.

"I had a particularly nasty run in with the leader of this little attack." Walter practically spat. "Suffice to say, he was a bit stronger than his subordinates, but I bested him eventually."

"Is- is that so?" Chrom found himself staring at Walter. It was surreal, as when he first met Walter, the man was sixty nine. Now he looked like he was forty five or something close to that. "I mean, I assume you noticed that…" his voice trailed. "...noticed that you're looking a bit, you know…"

"Younger?" Walter finished the sentence for him. Chrom nodded, and immediately regretted doing so, as Walter shot him what could only be described as a death glare. "No, hardly noticed." The de-aged butler said sarcastically as he leaned back in his chair. "Next time you feel like talking, make sure it's not to ask stupid questions."

That silenced the whole room, as all present stopped what they were doing to stare at the butler. Walter, for the most part, realized what he had just said, and immediately looked guilty.

"Forgive me, I don't know what came over me." he apologized. "I'm just not quite used to this."

Chrom gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's fine, we all have our bouts of anger." the blue-haired prince glanced around the room in search for another blue-haired warrior. "Say, has anyone seen Marth?" When there was no reply, Chrom clicked his teeth in irritation, "Not again!"

The prince immediately ran out of the room, Walter following right behind him.

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Entrance)**

 ** _(Play song ~ "You may call me Marth." [Fire Emblem Awakening OST])_**

As soon as the battle was done, and her stab wound was all patched up, Lucina opted to leave the palace before anyone could notice.

 _All is well, there is no other reason for me to stay any longer._ The future princess took one last look at the palace. _May this palace remain standing for the centuries to come. May it not crumble and fall, just as it did in my future._ Without another word, Lucina turned away from the palace.

"Going somewhere?"

The blue-haired maiden was intercepted by Chrom, who stood in front of her.

"How did you get in front of me?" Lucina was baffled, as she was sure Chrom would not have managed to have caught up to her.

"I know a few shortcuts around the castle." The prince replied. "When you've lived here your whole life, you kind of learn the fastest way to get to around."

Lucina let out a half-hearted laugh. "So it seems." She moved to go around Chrom, but the prince would not let her through.

"You've a bad habit of not saying goodbye." The prince grabbed hold of her forearm.

"Yes, I have a few bad habits, in fact." Lucina didn't bother to attempt to escape his grip, she knew that he wouldn't let her leave so long as he had something to say to her; she knew her father well enough to be assured of that.

"Well, you've a few good habits as well- you saved not only my life but both my sisters as well." Chrom gave her a warm smile. "Is there someway I can repay you? Perhaps a favor of some kind?"

Lucina returned the smile, "No, saving you and the Exalt is reward enough."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? There must be something I can do?"

The blue-haired princess shook her head, "No, nothing at all. I came here for one purpose, and one purpose only: to rewrite the future."

The captain of the Shepherds crossed his arms, "What future is that?"

"Emmeryn's assassination would've led to chaos, according to our blue-haired maiden."

Lucina looked behind Chrom to see the de-aged, and ragged, Walter standing in the shadows of a tree.

"In addition, you would've suffered grave injuries that would affect you for the rest of your life." the middle-aged butler continued. "It's a blessing that dear "Marth" appeared when she did. It's because of her that we were able to mobilize the Shepherds in time to hold off the attack."

Chrom nodded in agreement. "Indeed, I once again ask if you want anything in return for this service?"

"No, nothing at all." Lucina replied once more.

"Than surely, as it would be of no consequence, you'd like to stay in the palace for tonight." Walter suddenly cut in. Lucina stared at him in bewilderment.

"Surely not, I wouldn't wish to overstay my welcome. I can find accommodations else-"

"No, that simply shall not do." the butler interrupted her before she could finish. "You've done us, no the entire Halidom, a great service. The least that can be done is to provide you a warm bed for the night."

"Yes," Chrom chimed in. "There are plenty of rooms in the palace. I'll go inform Emm that you'll be staying in the palace, right now." The prince immediately left to speak with Emmeryn, leaving both Walter and Lucina alone.

"Now you can't refuse, because your poor father has already gone to set up a room for you." The de-aged Walter chuckled at the sight of Chrom dashing back to the castle.

"Yes, father was always one to repay those that had performed great good for the kingdom." Lucina smiled as she watched her father disappear into the palace. "Still, I can't possibly accept a room. I don't even belong here."

Walter's brow furrowed. "Nonsense, you are the future daughter of Chrom. If anything, this is exactly where you belong." He placed a comforting hand on the blue-haired maiden's shoulder. "Whether you're from the future or not, this is still your home. Don't push it away, even if it isn't the home you remember. Even if your father isn't truly your father, you shouldn't be so reluctant to bond with him. Those kinds of bonds, familial bonds, are the kind that transcend time and even blood. Don't throw it away because the Chrom of now isn't the Chrom of the future. I assure you, if he knew that you were his daughter from the future, he'd shower you with all the love that he's capable of."

At this point, Lucina's eyes were watering. Tears were beginning to flow down her cheeks, tears that she had long thought had dried.

"Thank you, Walter, for everything." she embraced the butler, much to his surprise. Walter felt a pang in his chest. He returned the embrace, albeit reluctantly. As he did, he took a moment to check the back of his hand. Much to his relief, the seal was still there.

 ** _(Song ends here)_**

* * *

 **Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace(Throne Room)**

 **August 22 (1:55 A.M)**

Time seemed to pass by quickly. As soon as Walter and Lucina entered the throne room, the butler was made aware of two new additions to the Shepherds ranks. One was a woman named Panne. Apparently she came from a near extinct race of creatures called the Taguel. They were shapeshifters, capable of transforming into large animals. Apparently, mankind had looked down upon them for hundreds of years, even hunting them for sport. This seemed to greatly affect Panne's view of the human race in general, as she seemed to harbor a deep resentment of humanity that caused her to, ironically enough, stereotype all of humanity.

There was a time when Walter would have agreed that most of humanity was made up of self interested wastes of flesh, but after years of serving by some of the most remarkable people ever, his view had shifted immensely. Walter quickly made it his goal to show Panne that not all of humankind was made up of murderers.

The other that joined the ranks was a thief named Gaius. He had been caught by Chrom during the battle. The thief had apparently been swayed to their side after being offered candy of all things. Walter, while confused, was happy that Gaius was accepting such cheap pay. Splitting the finances amongst the Shepherds was a trial in itself, so he was glad that he only had to worry about picking up a couple bags of candy for Gaius' payment.

Soon, the discussion between Emmeryn, Chrom, Walter, Frederick, and Phila shifted to that of utmost importance: the Exalt's safety.

"It may take some time to investigate how this plot got as far as it did." Phila rested her chin on her hands. "We have no leads as of right now."

"Actually, I have the name of the man who organized this little fiasco." Walter chimed in. "He introduced himself as "Validar", and from his clothing I could deduce that he was of Plegian origin."

"How'd you manage that?" Phila raised an eyebrow. "How could his clothing give way to the conclusion that he was Plegian?"

Walter interlocked his fingers, "Well, it looked similar to the clothing that both Gangrel and his accomplice, Aversa, wore. Of course, it's only a hypothesis, but I imagine it would be helpful."

"It makes sense, only Plegia would be so bold!" Chrom slammed his fist into the table. "They'd do anything to obtain the Fire Emblem!" The prince turned to his sister. "Emm, you can't stay here! You have to come to Regna Ferox, where it's safe!"

"And leave the people undefended?" Emmeryn shook her head. "War is at our borders, Chrom. Ylisse will not stand against Plegia without it's leader. They must know that their Exalt stands with them."

"I understand that, Emm, I really do, but what if something happens to you? What happens then?"

The room was silent for a bit, the hopelessness of the situation dawning on all of them.

"There has to be somewhere Lady Emmeryn can retreat to for safety, is there not?" Walter broke the silence.

"Yes, there is." Frederick chimed in. "The eastern palace, it's location is not only a fair distance away from the Plegian border, but it's also well hidden."

"Yes, please, grant me at least that." Chrom swallowed. "At least then you'll be safe."

The Exalt silently thought this through before making her decision. "Very well then."

Relief swept through the room at Emmeryn's response, Chrom in particular being the most relieved.

"Thank you, Emm. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that."

"That concludes this impromptu meeting of ours, time we get rest." Walter got to his feet. "It's best that we not leave immediately; give our forces at least a week to recover. Once that's done, Lady Emmeryn can be escorted to the eastern palace, the Shepherds and Pegasus Knights guarding her for the trip." With one hundred percent agreement on all sides, the five headed off to bed.

Before heading to his room, Walter stopped by the washroom in order to clean himself up a bit. Upon entering, he was taken aback by his appearance. The butler ran his fingers along his smoother skin, still not convinced that the man in the mirror was him.

"Mid-forties, possibly late-forties, by my estimate." Walter muttered to himself as he splashed some water on his face. He spent several minutes washing the blood out of his hands, arms, face, and hair. When he was finally satisfied, the butler finally made his way to his bedroom. Unfortunately, his clothing was in tatters. His favorite plum colored waistcoat was ruined, alongside his gray slacks. The dress shirt wasn't much of a loss though, as he had plenty of those.

As he entered his room, he immediately threw his clothes off, and, despite having just fought in one of the toughest battles of his life, did not collapse into bed. He put on another dress shirt, this one being gray in color, and a pair of black pants. He didn't bother to put on a new tie and waistcoat, as he was too lazy to do so. The butler then sat down at his desk, eager to work on something.

Walter, for the most part, wasn't tired at all. He was restless, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Instead, he opted to be productive and began to work on something. First, he worked on updating the Shepherds' Roster, as he hadn't added Lon'qu or Donnel's entries yet, as the events of the last few days had kept him busy. The butler was going to add Panne and Gaius' entries as soon as he learned more about the two, probably within the next couple days. Next, he proceeded to update his research on weapon durability and the like, followed by him working on a replacement pair of gloves.

 _Thunk thunk thunk!_

The sound of someone knocking on his door caused Walter to raise an eyebrow. He pulled out a pocket watch to check the time.

"Who in blazes would be up at 2:30 in the morning?" He muttered his breath as he made his way to the door. Upon opening the door, Walter felt a pang in his heart.

 ** _(Play song ~ Id (Serenity) [Fire Emblem Awakening OST])_**

"I'm sorry to bother you at this hour." Lucina stood at the door, still in her combat gear for some baffling reason.

"Lucina, what are you doing up at this hour, in your combat gear nonetheless?" The butler leaned against the door.

"Well…" The maiden with the midnight blue hair looked down. "...suffice to say that sleep is eluding me. So…" she placed her hands over her chest. "...I thought it best to pass the time elsewhere. It just so happened that I was passing by your room and I…"

Walter smirked as he watched her struggle to get her words out.

"You're not the best at small talk, are you?" the de-aged butler chuckled ever so slightly. Lucina opened her mouth to talk, but closed it seconds later, instead opting to just nod in agreement with the statement. Walter placed a hand on her back and shuffled her into the room. "You'll have to excuse the blandness of the room, a man like me doesn't really spend time collecting knick knacks for decoration."

Lucina saw that this was largely true, Walter's room had much space to be filled. There was a bookcase in the corner, filled with various books on topics she had never heard of. His desk was against the wall, a window being directly above it. Various utensils were scattered across the desk, including what looked to be like a large spool of wire. The butler's bed was against the wall perpendicular to the desk and bookcase, with his closet and wardrobe being parallel to the bed.

"Better bland than tasteless." Lucina commented as she took a seat on Walter's bed. "I do hope I didn't wake you."

Walter laughed as he sat down at his desk once more. "No, no, I was still awake. Like you, I found myself a tad bit restless." Walter leaned back in the chair. "I decided to make myself a bit more useful; working helps me clear my mind."

The blue-haired princess' brow furrowed. "Clear your mind of what, if you don't mind me asking?"

The butler raised a hand to his chin. "I guess that's a good question; the ever increasing trials and tribulations of the world I suppose." He clicked his teeth as he leaned forward in his chair. "Life seems to throw more at you as you age, and when you get to my age, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming."

Lucina nodded, "Yes that does make sense."

Walter decided to relocate from his desk chair to beside Lucina. "So, mind telling what's keeping you up?"

The maiden squirmed ever so slightly, "Whatever do you mean?"

The butler rolled his eyes, "You didn't come to my room just to make small talk." Walter crossed his arms. "Obviously, something's on your mind, so why don't you tell me about it?"

Lucina's eyes wandered to the ground, which she stared at in silence for a few seconds. "I…" she began.

"Look at me." Walter placed his hands on her shoulders. "Whatever is troubling you, please tell me."

Lucina trembled as her eyes wandered once more, but this time stopping on Walter's. Midnight blue eyes met gunmetal gray as the two continued to stare into each other's eyes for what felt like hours.

"I'm afraid." Lucina broke the silence. "I know that Emmeryn's death has been prevented, but I'm afraid that even if we prevented it from occurring here, it may still occur later." She began tremble. "What if all we're doing is delaying the inevitable? What if me coming back here was in vain?"

Walter raised his hand and placed it on the poor girl's chin. "Don't talk like that, it'll all turn out fine, I swear. I promised you that I'd prevent your future from occurring; so long as my body draws breath." He raised her chin so she was looking into his eyes once more. "Stop thinking about the future for once, focus on the here and the now." Lucina nodded and suddenly, just as she did earlier that, embraced Walter once more.

"Thank you." She buried her face into his chest. Walter smiled and returned the embrace. When the embrace ended, Walter lied Lucina down in his bed.

"Get some rest." he said softly as he tucked her into bed. The blue-haired princess nodded as she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.

Walter couldn't help but watch her peaceful form, the sweet sound of her soft breathing warming his heart. The butler, sat back at his desk and began working his replacement gloves once more. As he did, however, his eyes continuously wandered over to the sealing sigil on the back of his hand.

 _It's presence means that, thankfully, I'm still human, but for how long? After my fight with Validar, it took all my willpower to resist the blood lust that had been growing since the beginning of that battle. Soon it won't matter if I'm a human or a vampire, I'll just be a slave to my own desire; my desire to soak in the blood of my enemies. Even then, my body is still de-aging. It won't be long until my body completely gives and I die._ Walter glanced over at Lucina's sleeping form. He smiled as she snuggled up into a ball.

 _She and Chrom are the very people that are tethering me to my humanity. It's because of them that I have a purpose to live for. It's because of them that I've been able to heal my guilt and start over. I can't fail the, I won't fail them!_ These thoughts weighed heavily on Walter's mind. With Validar, supposedly the man that would've been responsible for Emmeryn's death gone, things should go smoothly from that point forward. He was glad that Validar had not succeeded in his plot, and that the sorcerer had been eliminated. Although, he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity, as if he'd known the man a long time ago

 ** _(Song ends here)_**

* * *

 **LOCATION UNKNOWN**

 **TIME UNKNOWN**

"How is this possible!? Could that man, that monster, could he have been the one I've been searching for for years?" Validar, after suffering the most grueling death possible, now stood in a black void. He had no idea where he was, but he readily assumed that he was in some kind of purgatory.

"If so, how was it that he was as old as he was? None of this is possible!" The sorcerer howled in rage. "How could I have been thwarted!?"

 _Validar…_

The sorcerer ceased his rant then and there. Validar turned to see a hooded figure staring back at him.

"Who are you?" The sorcerer backed away, fearful of the mysterious figure. The hooded figure simply laughed before replying.

 _I am the power that compels you. You will not fall here, Validar, for that is not your destiny. You shall live on and author a destiny much greater than you know!_

Validar, realizing who he was in the presence of, immediately lowered himself to a knee. "It is you…"

The hooded figure tilted its head, bemused by Validar's gesture.

 _I am the wings of despair, the breath of ruin!_ The hooded figure raised its hands to the sky.

 _I am the fell dragon, Grima!_

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _I wished you a Merry Christmas and now a Happy New Year..._**

 ** _Hey, that wasn't so bad! I managed to get it out much sooner then I anticipated! I thought the fact that I had to type half of this on a touchscreen was going to impede my progress, but hey I was wrong!_**

 ** _Anyway, I hope things didn't get too graphic for you guys. Who am I kidding, this was tame in comparison to actual Hellsing. Still, I may have to bump up that age rating if things start to get more explicit._**

 ** _Now what a chapter, I gotta say this was a whopper. From beginning to end, a pleasure to write. I'm so glad that I made this a separate part._**

 ** _Now, to elaborate on Walter's current state, he's still human. He's actually a decade older than his "Dark Walter" body, which most people agree is him in his late twenties to mid thirties. So when your imagining his current appearance, imagine a slightly older Dark Walter. Also, his voice probably sounds less like Ralph Lister (Walter's regular VA) and more like Liam O'Brien (Walter's "Dark Walter" VA). At least, that's the voice that I think he'd have in his forties._**

 ** _Walter will most likely get even younger as this arc progresses. Who knows how young he'll get!? (I do since I've got it all planned out)_**

 ** _On to the behind the keyboard/touchscreen things that I'm still not sure people read!_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _Noob mistake_**

 ** _Let's be blunt, everytime I've played though this chapter's corresponding level in the game, I always forgot to do one thing: recruit Gaius._**

 ** _Noob mistake, I know, but hey at least I finally did it for the re-run I did to refamiliarize myself with the game's story._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _A hybrid anime transformation_**

 ** _If Walter's de-aging reminds you of a specific anime/manga transformation, then I probably took some inspiration from it. I'm not going to tell you which anime/manga I took specific inspiration from for that de-aging scene, but I'll say that there are three of them. If you really pay attention, it'll be pretty damn obvious what exactly was referenced._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _Gray shirt_**

 ** _When Walter is choosing a new shirt to wear to replace the one that was ruined, he chooses a gray shirt. I mean, this one might be a bit tricky to figure out, but I think my readers are smart enough to figure out the underlying reason as to why I choose to make him wear a gray shirt. If you can't, well that's fine._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _Who comforts who?_**

 ** _In the final scene between Walter and Lucina, I had to debate on who was giving who a pep talk. Was I going to have Lucina comfort Walter on his de-aging or have Walter comfort Lucina? Well, it's obvious which one I choose._**

 ** _Anyone else notice a "cough" romantic tone "cough" between the two?_**

 ** _Just kidding, the two are just really close friends, like a teacher and student bond._**

 ** _Then again, I could be lying..._**

 ** _...probably?_**

 ** _...maybe?_**

 ** _...possibly?_**

* * *

 ** _I wanna thank all of you who have been reviewing/commenting on the story so far. It's really encouraging to see that people actually like this story. I wrote this story on a whim, not actually thinking it would get anywhere. That's probably why I had no drive to continue it for so long. Then one day, I noticed that even though I hadn't updated in a long time, people still wanted more. I couldn't very well leave you guys hanging, so I spent a whole night writing. You guys, espescially those that have stuck around since the beginning, are the reason this story has come back in the way it has. Without you guys, there'd be no story, it would've been forever incomplete! I know this is all incredibly cheesy, and honestly a bit cliche, but you guys really are the ones that should be thanked. I mean, writing is difficult and all, but being the reader that has to wait patiently for the next chapter is even more of a trial._**

 ** _So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am sincerely grateful that you guys have stuck with this story for as long as you have. I don't care that this story isn't as big as others, I just wanna tell a story that you guys enjoy. I hope that you guys are excited for what's to come, because boy is it gonna be a trip!_**

 ** _I hope that this year will be a really good year for all of us!_**

 ** _Happy 2018!_**

 ** _~Wizard Can't Name Things_**

* * *

 _ **Next time on Walter Dornez of the Emblem!**_

 ** _Leisure Time_**


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